Reluctant paddler to India's brightest talents: The Dhaani Jain story

Ahmedabad: The rhythmic sound of the table tennis ball echoes through the training hall at the EKA Arena here. It's a sound Dhaani Jain is as familiar as with her own heartbeat.

Dhaani, a 14-year-old, was in the city representing her home team Dabang Delhi TTC in the inaugural Dream UTT Juniors. The tournament did not go according to plan for the teenager but the confidence she oozes on the table makes her stand out.

Dhaani's journey in table tennis, however, began with a twist of fate. Her early years were spent in varied activities – from skating to swimming and even fashion modelling. She even dabbled in ballet dance.

"I did like many things," she told The Bridge with a laugh, recalling a hula hoop competition she won.

But a bad fall while skating led her father Gaurav Jain, a former table tennis player himself, to push his daughter into an entirely different path.

Initially, table tennis held little appeal.

"I didn't have the interest at first," Dhaani, who trains under Dronacharya awardee and former coach of Manika Batra – Sandeep Gupta,  admitted.

She’d often cry before matches, a tiny figure overwhelmed by the intense atmosphere of tournaments. She was, in fact, coaxed into playing her first tournament as a seven-year-old girl, under the guise of a trip to McDonalds following a training session.

"The tournament was at my school only, so I realised we were not going to McDonalds," she recalled. "I started crying in the car only."

Dhaani was eight points down in that match, managed to score one, and burst into tears on the court. But a post-match reward – a big meal and an ice cream – soon became a cherished ritual, a small comfort that kept her coming back to the sport.

Slowly, she developed a passion for table tennis.

Dhaani's dedication is visible in her rigorous training schedule. Her mornings are dominated by multi-ball drills, which often stretches for three hours or more.

Afternoons involve gym sessions or intense footwork and agility training. Evenings are dedicated to sparring against seasoned state and national-level players at her academy.

Dhaani's journey, though, hasn't been without its hurdles. A severe stomach infection and high fever in 2023 landed her in the hospital for weeks, derailing her progress.

"My game went really down," she said, the memory still fresh.

Her goals shifted from national aspirations to simply aiming for a top-four finish in her state. But she fought back.

"Now I am improving really," she asserted. Her sights are now firmly set on a top-eight finish in women's nationals and clinching the national under-19 title.

Beyond the table, Dhaani juggles the demands of her sport with academics. A 10th-grader facing board exams, she finds it tough to balance both.

While her mother, a math teacher, encourages her studies, her father has set a clear academic target: "not below 85%."

When she's not immersed in training or studies, Dhaani cherishes her downtime. Her favorite activity? Sleeping.

"I can just sleep anywhere," she said with a laugh. "I just love to sleep."

She also finds joy in dancing, a childhood passion that still makes her happy.

From a reluctant paddler to one of India's brightest talents, Dhaani Jain's story has just started.