Indian tennis player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran will celebrate his 28th birthday today (January 8, 2021). The Tamil Nadu-born paddler is one of the most decorated Table Tennis players from the country and was ranked 32 in the world as of April 2020. Gnanasekaran has won several honours at both the domestic and international levels. So as the table tennis star turns a year older, we take a look at some lesser-known facts about him.

Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran announced himself on the world stage in Table Tennis when he won the ITTF Challenge Belgium Open title in the men's singles category in September 2016. The paddler achieved his career-high ranking of 24 in 2019, thus becoming the first-ever Indian to break into the top 25 of the world. Gnanasekaran had a tremendous time at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning several medals in various events.

Lesser-Known Facts About Sathiyan Gnanasekaran

  • Sathiyan Gnanasekaran was born on January 8, 1993, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

  • He was the first-ever Indian to break into the top 25 of the ITTF Rankings

  • Gnanasekaran won his first ITTF pro title at the Belgium Open in 2016

  • He is also the first Indian paddler to win an ITTF event on European soil

  • With his Spanish Open triumph in 2017, he became the first Indian to win two ITTF pro tour titles.

  • He won a Gold Medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

  • Sathiyan Gnanasekaran helped team India secure bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games

  • He was awarded Arjuna Award in 2018

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran was a part of the Dabang Delhi TTC team in the inaugural edition of the Ultimate Table Tennis League and was one of the finest performers of the season. He was retained the following season and was appointed as the captain, leading them to the title in 2018.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2021 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).