Sreeja turns a corner in the heights of Shillong

Winning her maiden National singles title was a cathartic experience for the 23-year-old paddler. She hopes it kickstarts a successful run in both national and international events

Shillong is a tourist’s delight. The view of the valleys, the mountains, the dense forest and the clean river beds is breathtaking. Meghalaya’s capital can floor any new visitor.

But for the paddlers who had assembled for the Senior National table tennis championships in the ‘Scotland of the East’, situated almost 5,000 feet above sea level, the manner in which the ball travelled during a rally was not pleasant. “The ball floats here,” observed 10-time National champion Sharath Kamal, “making it difficult to play”.

The challenging conditions at the SAI Indoor Stadium, situated in the spacious North-Eastern Hill University, enhanced Akula Sreeja’s achievement: a breakthrough triumph, a maiden National title.

What’s more, the 23-year-old from Telangana was not tipped to win the women’s singles crown. Seeded third, a semifinal appearance — like in the previous edition — was par for the course.

“The conditions weren’t easy,” admitted Sreeja, but she enjoyed the natural settings. “From my room, the view was beautiful. The view of the mountains and forest was really great,” she said.

Winning the Nationals was a cathartic experience for Sreeja. At previous National championships, be it sub-junior, junior or youth, pressure inevitably got the better of her.

“I had the feeling that the world was falling on me,” she said, describing how she felt when she had competed in other Nationals.