Purvansh Patel has a big opportunity ahead of him. The 17-year-old is part of India’s eight-member Under-18 team for the forthcoming Pickleball World Cup, and he is determined to make his debut count.
With 22 days to go before Asia’s first-ever Pickleball World Cup, the Gujarat boy, currently training under coach Dhiren Patel in Ahmedabad, is making sure he heads to the tournament with all his bases covered.
“I’m feeling really excited and proud to represent India at the World Cup. I am just focused in improving my skills day by day, improving my fitness and decision making skills,” he told Pickleball Now.
Focus on adaption
The focus is not only on polishing his skills for the international challenge but also on preparing for Vietnam’s sultry conditions, potential opponents and psychological challenges.
“Since the tournament is in Vietnam, I’m also preparing myself to adapt quickly to the conditions and environment. And my coach Dhiren Patel is helping me to prepare against every type of opponent I am going to face and helping in my daily training under him I am training 3-4 hours a day to become best,” Purvansh added.
Purvansh has not been handed any specific role in the team, but he is not bothered by the challenge awaiting him. He knows what he needs to do when he steps onto the court.
“My main focus is to contribute wherever the team needs me, and perform consistently when I get my opportunity,” said the youngster.
As preparation remains an individual effort, players, Purvansh said, needed to find an alternative yet robust way of staying connected to help them build a bond. “As we are from different states we don’t communicate that much but we communicate on WhatsApp group and some of them are from same states so we communicate as what should be game plan and how to prepare for tournament,” he said.
While it is easy for a youngster to spend hours in training to stay in shape before the World Cup, Purvansh is wary of not burning out before the start of the tournament.
“I’m trying to keep a good balance between training, recovery, studies, and personal time. I’m also focusing on getting enough rest, staying disciplined with my routine, and keeping my mindset positive,” he said.
Staying positive
Being able to absorb the pressure under tense conditions and pull off results is a challenging task. It requires a strong mind to play in an intense competition like the World Cup. To navigate the challenge, he is taking help from coach Dhiren.
“My coach helps me to meditate 30 minutes a day and in it he helps to prepare my mindset and stay positive and strong in any conditions,” Purvansh said.
Beyond the World Cup, his long-term goal is to become the World No. 1 in pro men’s singles category.
“My goal is to become one of the best pickleball players in the world and represent India at the highest level and win as many medals I can win in international tournament. And becoming World number 1 in Pro men’s singles,” said Purvansh.
The Pickleball World Cup is set to be held in Da Nang, Vietnam, from August 30 to September 6.