Massimo costantini

World Team Table Tennis Championships: Insisting that even the table tennis powerhouses are keen to avoid playing India in the earlier rounds thanks to their exploits in the last 12 months, the Indian team’s coach Massimo Costantini exuded confidence that the players could spring a few surprises in both the team and individual events at the upcoming Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.

India have qualified for both the men's and women's team events for the first time in the history of the Olympics and Costantini has been roped in to guide the players on the biggest stage. This will be his third stint with the Indian national team and the 66-year-old has witnessed the rise of Indian table tennis since he first came to India in 2009.

Under Costantini, India clinched a record eight medals, including three gold, at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and two bronze medals at the 2018 Asian Games.