Jennifer Varghese: TOI award inspires me to aim higher

Nagpur: The city's table tennis prodigy, Jennifer Varghese, has made it a habit of winning international medals, including at the latest WTT World Youth Table Tennis Championships, in various age categories.
The 16-year-old Jennifer took her first step towards graduating to the senior level when she won the women's singles bronze medal during the Senior National Ranking Table Tennis tournament in Goa recently. The morale-boosting women's medal made Jennifer confident, and the Nagpur girl went on to clinch her maiden U-19 WTT gold medal in Czech Republic before winning a treble of yellow metals in Vadodara leg of the World TT's youth contender.
Thanks to Jennifer, Nagpur has found an international performer after a gap of over a decade. On receiving the Times of India's Nagpur Heroes award, Jennifer expressed her delight at being recognised and awarded by a prestigious brand like TOI. "Winning such a big award at this young age is an incredible honour for me. I am thrilled that TOI acknowledged my efforts. This recognition comes at a perfect time, as I am set to participate in the Senior Contender Championship in Chennai." she said.
Jennifer emphasised need for better facilities and clubs in Nagpur to help TT grow and attract young talent. She also stressed importance of having more dedicated coaches for aspiring players. "Awards like these reaffirm we are on the right path and motivate us to perform better. I hope TOI continues recognising sportspersons," she added.