NEW DELHI: Before COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, "Gully Boy" hit the theatres. A musical drama, inspired by the real-life stories of rappers Divine and Naezy, delivered a soundtrack that soon became anthemic -- especially "Apna Time Aayega" (which translates to "My time will come").
The phrase caught on so quickly that it evolved into a movement, making its way onto t-shirts, phone covers, and the vocabulary of every dreamer hustling toward success.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!For Commonwealth and Asian Games medallist Harmeet Desai, though, the expression carries a slight twist -- “Apna time agaya” (This is my time) -- as it proudly says on his WhatsApp status.
"I believe that whatever time I am in now is my time -- good or bad. I don’t want to keep waiting for some future moment; I focus on the present," Harmeet told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.
Preparing for Chennai: The grind behind the game Harmeet, who is part of the field for the WTT Star Contender Chennai from March 27 in the main draw, is coming off an intense training schedule -- first at SAI Bengaluru and then in Sweden's Karlstad.
"For about 23 days, we practiced with all the training partners in Sweden. We had match practice, especially focusing on doubles. In Bengaluru, we were mostly playing amongst ourselves, but in Sweden, we got the opportunity to play against European players," he explains.
"Bengaluru is at a higher altitude, so the ball tends to fly more. In Sweden, the conditions were slower because the location was near sea level. Cold weather slows things down, while heat speeds them up."
An avid reader of all genres, Harmeet has recently been diving into books on spirituality and stoicism -- philosophies that seem to complement his evolved approach to the sport.
From Surat’s business lanes to the world stage
Harmeet Desai. (AP Photo)
Harmeet's love story with the TT table began at the age of six, inspired by his father Rajul P Desai, who played the sport as a hobby.
“My father bought a table tennis setup at home, and I got very excited about it. I started playing on my own, which led to serious practice,” he recalls.
While a young Desai dabbled in multiple sports, including cricket, tennis, and badminton, it was table tennis that lit up his eyes.
“I was fascinated by the spin and speed of TT,” he says.
However, his hometown, Surat, lacked a strong sports culture, making it difficult to find good training partners and infrastructure.
“When I started in Surat, there was no sports culture. The city was known for business, not sports. I had to travel to different cities or invite players home for practice,” he adds.
In the absence of an active platform where he could observe other players play, his father played a crucial role, even recording Asian Championship matches on a handycam when Desai, busy with his exams, could analyse them later.
Determined to improve, he trained in Ajmer at just eight years old and later moved to Sweden at 15 to gain high-level coaching.
“Back then, India didn’t have the best infrastructure. Sweden gave me exposure, but being vegetarian made things tough,” he admits.
A new phase in life
Now, after 26 years in the sport, the 31-year-old, who is married to fellow TT player Krittwika Sinha Roy, has matured both as a player and a person.
“Yes, marriage brought a different perspective. I’ve become more mature and balanced. Earlier, results affected me a lot, but now I focus more on the process. If I had this mindset 10 years ago, my results might have been even better,” he reflects.
'Middle-class athletes can thrive too'
Recently, badminton coach Pullela Gopichand made headlines by stating that
middle-class families should reconsider sports as a career choice. Harmeet, however, respectfully disagrees.
“Many top athletes come from middle-class backgrounds. The sports infrastructure and support system in India have improved a lot in the last 15-20 years, though there’s still room for growth," he asserts. "Saying that sports is only for the wealthy isn’t entirely correct."
Having represented India at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Harmeet, while acknowledging his 'dream' to play at the Olympics, also opened up about the less-than-ideal conditions at the Games last year.
“Cleanliness wasn’t a major issue, but the heat was unbearable. There were no ACs in the rooms, and even the buses had no air conditioning. We weren’t allowed to open windows either, making travel extremely uncomfortable. The dining hall was overcrowded, and sometimes food would run out. Managing these things was definitely challenging,” he reveals.
With Chennai as his immediate focus, Harmeet is also preparing for upcoming WTT tournaments in China and Slovenia.
Beyond that, his sights are firmly set on the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Olympics, as he continues his journey with one mantra: A step at a time.
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