Right now, he’s directing his Season 3 of Indian table tennis, the most crucial season that could change the future of the sport in the country. And he’s doing it with calmness but firmness, friendliness but staunch professionalism.

India’s Table Tennis coach Massimo Costantini

The globe-trotting 66-year-old has enjoyed a fascinating coaching career which has seen him guide his home country Italy besides UAE, and even the USA. He’s won the ITTF Coach of the Year award and is inducted into the California Table Tennis Hall of Fame. He even helped the ITTF with its mentoring programs. But something always draws him to India.

Back for this third stint as head coach, his goal is simple – he believes that India has the talent to become a force in the world of table tennis, a superpower even, but to do that, it will take a combined, patient effort to streamline the labyrinth structure of the sport in the country.

Growing up

Being the youngest of four children in a lower-middle-class family in Italy, Costantini’s parents put no restrictions on him when he was a kid. He wasn’t particularly interested in studies, and his parents weren’t too harsh on him because of that. They allowed him to play whatever he wanted to. He never fathomed that table tennis would become his bread and butter. After all, it wasn’t a sport people played professionally, or to support their family. As a seven-year-old in the early 60s, football was everything to Italian children. He too played football and by his own admission, was pretty good at it.

At the age of eight, he was wandering about near a small sports hall in his hometown one day when he saw people playing table tennis. He was intrigued by how the players managed to keep the ball on the table despite the opponent hitting it so hard. He wanted to try it, and assisted by a local coach, started playing for fun.

“Football is wonderful but it’s a team sport and I was more of an individual player. In table tennis, I had only myself to blame if things went wrong and only I would be praised when things went right. I was drawn to it because of the individuality,” Costantini told The Indian Express.

He still loved football and it was only when he started winning tournaments in table tennis that he decided to pursue with real dedication.

India’s Table Tennis coach Massimo Costantini talks to a player.

“Winning local tournaments felt good. Then I won regional tournaments, then my first national title came when I was 13. I was extremely excited though my family wasn’t super-supportive because they found it difficult to believe it could be a career. And I don’t blame them. With the national titles, came great recognition. People in my hometown recognised me and it drove me to do better,” Costantini said.

How did he finally convince his parents, though? “When I was 18 and got my first paycheck, I gave them half of it. They couldn’t believe I was getting paid to play TT. I was probably the first Italian player to turn pro. It eased their nerves a bit, but when I got married at the age of 24, people started questioning me again whether I would be able to support my family. I just went about doing what I knew best,” Costantini said, adding that he’s celebrating his 42nd anniversary with his wife this year.

“When I turned 18, I had decided that if I was going to earn from table tennis, then I have to be the best at it and I have to constantly keep learning. That’s also when I decided that I would be professional about everything. That professionalism is still there,” he said.

Costantini won his first senior national title at the age of 20 and his career simply took off. He represented Italy at various international tournaments including the 1988 Seoul Olympics. With his career-high ranking of 39, he would get offers from several clubs in Germany and France, but Costantini declined. He wanted to stay in Italy and develop the game there.

Towards the end of his playing career, he realised that mentoring players is something he had always enjoyed so coaching could definitely be something he could explore.

“I played for Italy more than 500 times. For the most part of my career, I was always the senior and would guide the younger players. I felt I could connect well with them and they responded too. That’s why I trained to become a coach and started in my home country.”

Coaching stints

After taking Italy to the Athens Olympics as coach in 2004, Costantini would continue there till 2008 when he was appointed coach of UAE. In 2009, with the home Commonwealth Games the following year, India approached him and he readily accepted.

It was a great result for India, winning a total of five medals, including a men’s doubles gold.

After the Games though, he would move to the US where he would mentor and coach the likes of Lily Zhang (current World No. 28) and Kanak Jha (No. 70).

India’s national coach Massimo Costantini reacts

He then joined India in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games where Manika Batra, with her long pimpled rubber, took the world by storm winning women’s singles gold. India won a historic eight medals including three gold (men’s team and women’s team events). He then returned home due to personal reasons, but this year, just before the Olympics, he jumped at the opportunity to coach India again.

India had a historic outing at the Paris Games but Costantini says he re-joined because he believes that India could become a force to reckon with in the near future and he could play an important role. He’s signed a two-year contract with TTFI with a two-year extension clause, but he’s already targeting the 2028 LA Olympics.

“It’s about creating a background of winning. In Commonwealth and Asian Games, we’ve created a history of winning medals. This Olympics, we reached the quarterfinal of the women’s team event and both our women’s singles players reached the Rd of 16. They’ve created a background of doing well at the Olympics so I’m confident that going forward, we can expect nothing less,” he says.

India at the Olympics

During the matches in Paris, Costantini was seen calmly talking to the players, motivating them during timeouts or between games. There was definitely more motivational than tactical advice. Even the tactical advice he doled out was just simple strategies.

“The players prepared for everything. Sometimes, they just need to be reminded not to overthink. You cannot play well when you are stressed,” he says.

When asked what was his advice to Sreeja Akula when she was up 10-6 and 10-5 in the first two games against World No. 1 Sun Yingsha, Costantini said he told her not to wait for Yingsha to make a mistake.

Paris 2024 Olympics – Table Tennis – Women’s Team Round of 16 – South Paris Arena 4, Paris, France – August 05, 2024. Team of India Sreeja Akula of India, Manika Batra of India and Archana Girish Kamath of India celebrate with their coach after winning the round of 16 team match against team of Romania. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)

“I tried to calm her and told her that she could not wait for Yingsha to make a mistake. I told her to seize the initiative and that she could win by playing to her strengths as she did earlier in the match. Sadly, it didn’t work because the Chinese simply elevated her game,” he said.

Unlike the last time he coached India, most of the top players have their personal coaches. Costantini said he working with them, rather than taking over.

“It’s easier for a coach to adapt to a player than for a player to adapt to a coach. I have to understand their nature and needs and then, I provide them with answers and tools to perform. I believe the core of coaching is identifying the players’ personality and their ability. The coaches know the players inside out so it’s great to have them part of the team,” he said.

“I trust individual work. What Manika needs is different from what Sreeja needs. If I create a harmonious environment the players can work with enjoyment and not be tense. It doesn’t mean everything is relaxed. Of course, there is hard work. The hardest work is to be strong mentally.”

The future

Manika and Sreeja are the highest-ranked Indians and both use pimpled rubber on their backhand. They were completely blown apart in the team event which questioned if the use of pimples could take India to the top of the world. Costantini says it is more than just that.

“We still have to find and explore what more you can do. It’s going to be a research and experimental journey. There are definitely more weapons to deploy when playing with pimples,” he said.

Costantini says he sees no reason why the Indian men can’t challenge the world’s best too, though it will take an even bigger effort as the men’s game has become extremely fast.

The likes of Sharath Kamal, G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai and even Manav Thakkar have managed to cause an odd upset but they’re hardly seen as world challengers.

Costantini says they have all the shots in their repertoire but need to work on their tempo.

“The men have to improve their timing and tempo. The majority of Indian players wait for the ball too much out of the table. Now you have to hit the ball off the bounce. The younger generation of Indians are aggressive. The key is not to think too much. Too many ‘what ifs’ are not helping players. We have to play as fast as possible and that’s what I hope I can influence,” he says.

He may be 66, but he says he’s as active as ever and “hungry to learn”. He could well be enjoying his life in Senigallia, handling the cocktail bar that he owns which his wife has been running for the past 20 years. But it’s a no-contest when it comes to choosing between table tennis and the bar.

“First of all, I don’t eat dinner because that helps with digestion. The bar opens at only 6pm and closes at 3am. What am I going to do there when I don’t even eat dinner!,” he exclaims.

What then, does he do when he goes back home?

“I do mundane tasks. I buy groceries and other supplies, help with printouts- basically do whatever I can to help.”

Doesn’t he miss his family?

“I would love it if my wife joins me in India for a holiday, maybe. My son works in Milan and I barely get to see him but we’re connected through the internet.

“Look, table tennis is my life. It’s my only priority right now. Going back home is my off-season,” he says.