How a determined Manush and his diligent coach Gosain plotted their way to the top

On the evening of the Republic Day in Surat, a bespectacled Manush Shah — having opted for a time-out after losing his first championship point — did his reverse-spin forehand serve, Payas Jain returned it to the southpaw’s backhand, Manush turned around and sealed the issue with a trademark down-the-line forehand top-spin winner.

As the paddler let out a loud scream along with a fist-pump, another bespectacled veteran sitting in the gallery rushed close to the arena. Shailesh Gosain, donning a light blue T-shirt, had driven down from Vadodara a couple of days earlier hoping that his ward would go all the way.

While coach Gosain leaned forward to hug Manush, the new men’s senior National table tennis king, the protege touched his feet before falling into his arms. “Mera kaam ho gaya (my task has been achieved),” said Gosain with a sense of pride and fulfilment.

That moment underlined how much the National championship triumph meant for the two. After all, for well over a decade, they have been putting in the hard yards in the princely town of Vadodara, mostly famous for cricket.

Inspiring journey

“We have been thinking about this day ever since he won the sub-junior National championship in 2015 in Kolkata. Table tennis means the world to him, and he means as much to me as the game,” Gosain told The Hindu minutes after clicking a picture of Manush with the coveted trophy.

“When his father brought him to me, the family was considering relocating overseas due to Manush’s health issues. But once he started improving and winning at district and State levels with ease even before entering his teens, there was no way he was going anywhere,” the coach recalled.

Manush echoed Gosain’s views, but he was a tad disappointed though not really surprised to know that his guru had started the drive back home. “The first time I dreamt of becoming the National champion was in 2015 when I stood on top of the podium in Kolkata. I am delighted to achieve this feat in my home State in front of my well-wishers,” said Manush.

Dreaming is one thing, realising it is another. Only a few, like Manush, who plan and execute meticulously find themselves on top of the podium.

“The preparation started six months back,” revealed Manush. He sat down with mentor A. Sharath Kamal and finalised his itinerary for the gruelling season in consultation with Gosain, focusing on the busy “second, third and fourth weeks of January”.

“I wanted to be at my peak for the challenges in Muscat, the Nationals and Singapore Smash. I am very happy I have done well in Muscat and the Nationals,” said Manush.

After winning six matches on the trot and entering the quarterfinals of the WTT Contender in Muscat, Manush continued in the same vein in the Surat Nationals. Seeded third, he had a challenging draw as he was pitted against childhood friend and sparring partner-cum-doubles partner Manav Thakkar in the quarterfinal.

Having breached Thakkar’s defence, he executed his plans to perfection against the in-form second seed Ankur Bhattacharjee in his next match. The manner in which Manush exposed Ankur’s forehand corner — he was the only player to outpace him during the week — was exemplary.

“Usually it’s me and my coach who plan for a match. Nowadays, if required, I scan a few videos of an opponent during the short window ahead of the contest. I have become so confident about my own ability that I just focus on executing my gameplan rather than worrying about my opponent,” Manush disclosed.

It was odd to see Gosain sitting in the stands and leaving the coach’s chair empty, resisting the temptation to cheer for the 24-year-old. Though the paddler didn’t delve deep on the subject, he acknowledged the contribution of his camp.

“Team Manush is big — coach Shailesh sir, mental trainer Gayatri Vartak-Madkekar (Samiksha Sports), mentor Sharath Kamal, dietitian Uma Kale, physio and fitness team Sports Dynamix under the guidance of Ramji Srinivasan and personal physio Venkatesh Kumar,” said Manush, reeling off the list of names in his dugout.

“With the help of India head coach Massimo Costantini, I feel I am doing a good job. It’s a team effort and the success means as much to everyone.”

Ever since he started working with Gayatri, an international shuttler-turned-sports psychologist, Manush learnt to look at problems as a challenge, including the health issues Gosain was referring to.

Natural talent

During his primary school days, Manush fell off a jungle gym and suffered internal bleeding. This meant that he had to spend almost a year in hospital and couldn’t even walk. When he got hooked to table tennis during a family vacation after his recovery, he was given the green light by the doctors to pursue the indoor sport.

When Gosain realised that Manush was “a kid with a natural ball-sense” and had the advantage of being a left-hander, they began putting in the extra hours at his academy. On January 26 this year, all the hours and hours of toil bore fruit.

Though it’s mission accomplished for his coach, Manush, despite calling the Nationals triumph “one of the most important moments of my career,” has set his eyes on bigger goals.

“I am ranked 78th in the world. By the end of the first half of 2025, I want to be in the top-60 and by the end of the year in the 50 bracket,” Manush said. “Manav and I are on the verge of breaking into the top eight (world doubles ranking) and want to reach the top-4. Diya (Chitale) and I aim to make it to the top-10 (mixed doubles).”

It will not be a surprise if Manush Shah, known to overcome challenges and achieve his goals, continues to break new ground.