Beijing-bound young woman paddler Neha Aggarwal says the Olympic qualification was a big step forward in her career but would take the quadrennial mega event more for sharpening skills than aiming to win a medal.
Sounding that her feet was firmly on the ground, Neha, ranked 266th in the world, would not promise for a medal but said she would try her best to cause a few upsets.
"Being still a junior, I am considering the Beijing Olympics as to gain more experience because qualifying for the event to me is a very big achievement itself," Neha told PTI from Patiala, where she is undergoing a special training programme under national coach Alexy Yefremov.
"In the Olympics I will compete with the best players in the world, which will be a good learning experience. I am one of the junior-most players competing there. I can't assure you of a medal but I am surely working hard and will put in my best efforts," said the 18-year-old Delhi girl who made it to Beijing ahead of seniors like Poulomi Ghatak and Mouma Das.
"Yes, I am hoping to upset some better players there (in the Olympics). Defeating Poulomi and Mouma to qualify for the Olympics obviously has boosted up my confidence and now I know better about how to play against the seniors," said Neha, the lone India woman paddler in Beijing.
Asked about her main opponents in the Olympics, she pointed out, "Main competitors will be from China, Japan and Korea, besides the European countries, including Germany and Russia."
Expressing satisfaction about her preparation, Neha said she was concentrating on how to improve consistency in her game which would be crucial in Beijing.
"I am quite satisfied with my ongoing preparations for the Beijing Olympics. But I need to be much quicker on the table and more stable also," Neha said.
On her qualification for the mega event, a bit unexpected to many experts, a confident Neha said, "People were certainly expecting either Mouma or Poulomi to qualify. But I was number one after the national championships."
"So, for me it was not actually unexpected at all. I had it at the back of my mind that I can make it to the Olympics," she insisted.
The young paddler also supported Table Tennis Federation of India's recent decision to hire service of the sports psychologist Rajan Kukeraja, which, she thinks, will help her in handling pressure during the Olympics.
"The psychologist is doing a fine job as Olympics is nearing and I am not under pressure at all," Neha said.
Photograph: David Hecker/AFP/Getty Images