The Olympic-bound Indian table tennis squad is currently training in the German city of Saarbrucken with the support staff outnumbering the players who will compete in Paris.

Italy’s Massimo Costantini, who has returned as India’s head coach for a third time, is getting help from former player Sourav Chakraborty as the other national coach of the contingent.

As many as four personal coaches have been cleared by the government to travel with the squad with all three members of the women’s team wanting their own through their stay at the Games.

Two masseurs and a physio are the other members of the nine-man support staff while six members form the playing contingent (three men, three women).

Women’s players Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath will lean on their respective personal coaches during their campaign in Paris. In the three-member men’s team, Sharath Kamal will have Chris Pfeiffer by his side. Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar are the other members of the men’s unit.

The presence of so many coaches can lead to floating of too many ideas in the camp but Costantin doesn’t see it as a problem.

“The personal coaches will have their ideas and I have my own. I will listen to them and eventually the final call lies with me. I don’t see anything wrong in that,” Costantini
said.