Imagine being born with a hole in your heart and doctors saying you only have eight months to live. Yes! This is not a fictional story. The Falcon TTC star Sanil Shetty was born with an abnormal heart condition in 1989. Overcoming adversities, he started making a name for himself. Sanil could not play any sports till he was five. Homeopathic medicine helped. Born in a family of table tennis players, Sanil did not get into the sport till he was nine.
Sanil played for Falcon TTC in the inaugural CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT). His contribution to the Falcon’s triumph was worthy of the highest praise. Teamed up with China’s Lee Ho Ching at the National Sports Club of India on Sunday, Sanil won the hearts of his team owners, spectators and of course the sponsors.
Sanil’s elder brother Sachin is a TT player-turned coach in the city and is currently rapping the fruits of his hard work but the scene was different two decades ago. In an interview to Indian Express, Sanil said “My father used to play for his office while my brother (Sachin Shetty) has played at the national level, even going on to coach India juniors. I guess the passion ran in my blood”.
A premature baby, born with a hole in heart, young Sanil was searching for inspiration to live. His domestic helper used to take him to school and bring him back home. Sanil also had a breathing problem as well. And to improve his stamina and endurance, he took up athletics. And since taking up the sport at the age of 10, Sanil rose to become India’s national table tennis champion in 2014. He was also the first player from Mumbai to achieve the feat since Kamlesh Mehta in 1995. Meanwhile, after UTT, he will participate in the ITTF Nigeria Open, after which he will go back to Germany where he plays in the 2nd division.
Sachin is nine years elder to Sanil and is more like his friend. Sanil doesn’t have many friends. He spent time with his family and shares his problems with coaching and sometimes he help him out with more solutions. And that’s how the Shetty brothers have become each other’s pillars. Sanil has so far defeated World No. 29 Aruna Quadri and World No. 31 Apolonia Tiago to name a few, while Sachin has coached many junior national champions, recent ones including World No. 30 Diya Chitale in U-15 category, who was part of the Indian team that amassed 24 medals in Jordan. The job is far from over.
Sanil’s dream is to play in the 2020 Olympics but before that, he wants to do well at the Commonwealth Games next year. Meanwhile, he is completely cured now and can run non-stop for three hours.
