The Indian table tennis fans got a view of table tennis stars Tomakazu Harimoto and his sister Miwa, the eventual women’s singles winner, at the WTT Star Contender Chennai.
Explaining his bond with his younger sister, Miwa, he said, “We are connected by the same thread. I think we are doing our best, using each other’s play as inspiration and motivation”.
Incidentally, Miwa won the women’s singles title recently at the WTT Star Contender Chennai.
Tomokazu is the first Japanese player to win a men’s singles gold. He has defeated several Chinese players and holds a better head-to-head record against 19-year-old Lin Shidong. “In the past, I just went for it and was happy with the win. But after that, it became a cycle of losing and winning, and although I lost more often than not, I think it was through winning that I realised how strong my opponents were,” Tomokazu said about his battle with the Chinese.
The Japanese paddler has won in the World Championships, the World Cup, the WTT Finals, and a bronze team medal in the Tokyo 2020. However, a men’s singles gold remains a top target for him, who has already defeated Olympic champion Ma Long.
“My biggest goal is an Olympic singles medal, especially gold. I could not get it in the Paris Olympics, but I want to win it the next time. I am motivating myself every day and I will work hard until that day arrives,” Tomokazu said.
Although Tomakazu has a decade long experience. He is still learning to keep his nerves at 21.
“When I was 13 or 14, I did not feel much pressure. As my ranking started to rise, other players began to notice and prepare for me, and it is still the same now. I try not to think about the match as much as possible. I am trying to concentrate on my play and get better,” the world No 3 added.
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