10-year-old Hansini set for ITTF debut in Sweden

Following impressive performances on the national circuit, 10-year-old M Hansini is all set to feature in her maiden International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) junior circuit event, Swedish Junior and Cadet Open, to be held in Orebro from February 19 to 23.

It has been a memorable year for Class V student who bagged bronze medal in cadet girls' singles at the 2019 National Table Tennis Championships and will start the upcoming season as India No.1 in the U-12 category.

It was coach Muralidhara Rao, who has experience of coaching top paddlers in the country such as Sharath Kamal and K Shamini, spotted the talent in Hansini at SDAT AKG Table Tennis Development Centre in Chennai.

The SDAT AKG is one of five table tennis academies in India which are being supported by the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT).

With the help of UTT, the academies are getting specialised physios, mental conditioning coaches, nutritionists which are helping paddlers perform better at the national and international level right from a young age.

Hansini has been placed in the Group 8 in junior girls' singles alongside Germany's Naomi Pranjkovic, Sweden's Hannah Holgersson and England's Amy Marriott.