India's TT couple feel it will be tough at CWG

Published>Mon, Oct 04 10 07:17 PM

New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) India's table tennis couple Soumyadeep Roy and Poulomi Ghatak feel the competition at the Delhi Commonwealth Games is tougher than the last edition in Melbourne in 2006.

Soumyadeep, a member of the Melbourne gold winning men's team, said teams like Australia, England, New Zealand have improved in the last few years and it will be a tough task for India to defend the top honours at home.

'We are taking one match at a time. Look at the top seeded Singapore team. They are so strong. Australia and England are also tough opponents. But I believe we have it in us to win the gold in our own country,' Roy told IANS.

Singapore squad has been strengthened by the entry of Chinese recruit and World No. 17 Gao Ning. Australia have William Henzell in their ranks, a silver medallist in the Melbourne Games.

England, led by World No.129 Paul Drinkhall, are capable of posing a stiff challenge to the hosts, if they come across each other in the knock-out stages. India are being led by World No.41 Sharath Kamal and are seeded second in the tournament.

Soumyadeep's fiance Poulomi, a six-time national champion, said it would not be easy even for the women's team to defend the bronze medal.

'The competition is a lot tougher this time. We are no way near Singapore's calibre. The Aussies, the English and the Malaysians are all playing well. If we manage a bronze, we should be happy with it,' Poulomi told IANS.

'If we want to win a gold or silver we have to come out with an extraordinary performance,' she said.

Source: Web Search