Calm Like Dhoni, Driven Like Kobe: The Making of Table Tennis Star Abhinandh PB

Indian table tennis has discovered another exciting young talent in Abhinandh PB , an 18-year-old whose rapid rise has begun to attract attention both at home and abroad. Yet, despite a string of impressive victories and medals, the Chennai paddler insists that he is only getting started.

Abhinandh announced himself on the big stage last season when he defeated Singapore's Isaac Quek in the Ultimate Table Tennis league. This year, representing Dempo Goa Challengers in UTT Season 7, he made another statement by overpowering France's Lilian Bardet , ranked world No. 42, in straight games.

The teenager's growing list of achievements includes a gold medal at the WTT Youth Star Contender in Doha and a bronze at the Asian Youth Championships earlier this year. Such performances have naturally increased expectations, but Abhinandh remains grounded.

For the youngster, every victory is merely a stepping stone toward a much bigger ambition: winning an Olympic gold medal for India .

Abhinandh says he constantly reminds himself of the standards set by Japanese star Tomokazu Harimoto , whose accomplishments at a young age continue to motivate him. He believes the challenge now is to keep learning, improve with every tournament, and avoid becoming complacent after big wins.

The Chennai player credits UTT for sharpening his tactical understanding, especially in areas such as serve selection, match management, and reading opponents under pressure.

In the short term, Abhinandh wants to climb from his current youth ranking and eventually become the world No. 1 in the youth circuit before transitioning fully to the senior game. His next milestone is to break into the top 100 of the senior world rankings after turning 19.

Off the table, he draws inspiration from Kobe Bryant's relentless work ethic , MS Dhoni's remarkable composure , and table tennis legend Fan Zhendong .

With talent, maturity, and an unwavering hunger for success, Abhinandh PB is shaping up as one of India's brightest hopes for the future.