ncement.Talks between the sides centered on th

Last December, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran found support from an unlikely quarter. With a week to go for the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in Surat, an ill-prepared Sathiyan realized he was yet to pick a mixed doubles partner for the event. What followed was a last-minute pairing with West Bengals Ankita Das and a gold medal finish. Beyond the gilt-edged outcome, a sombre truth united the players -- both had lost their fathers the previous month.It was the first tournament either of us was playing since our fathers had died, Sathiyan told ESPN in a chat. We both knew exactly what the other was going through. After such a huge loss, any pressure, challenge or outcome seemed small to us. They became the first Indian pair to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships.On Monday, the 23-year-old from Chennai rewrote history books yet again by coming the youngest Indian and only the second after Achanta Sharath Kamal to win an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) title - the Belgium Open. It was a giant leap for the 150-odd ranked player who has been training in Grunwettersbach, Germany, since September and turns out for third-division club TSG Kaiserslautern there. A pro tour title allows you to hope and dream big, he said. A spot in the top 50 is my aim for the next two years now.Sathiyans journey as a table tennis player hasnt been free from moments of self-doubt. Hailing from a conventional family background, a career in sport was considered fickle and frowned upon. Midway through my engineering course I realized that its not what I really wanted to, he said. Table tennis was the only thing that never failed to amaze me.A large share of the plaudits for Sathiyans success has gone to coach S Raman, a former Olympian under whom the player has trained in Chennai for over four years now. Sweet timing has been one of Sathiyans most special facets right from his early years, said Raman. If he adds more muscle power, his shots can be a lot more explosive.Aggressive play has been a recent addition to Sathiyans arsenal and has brought him success already. At the nationals in January, he beat his idol, Sharath Kamal, in the semi-finals.He has grown a lot more aggressive on both flanks, said Raman. Theres still some work that needs to be done though on his serve and physical fitness levels. Serve is the only component that is in your control as a player and one that can help you dictate overall play.Sathiyan will return to Germany for a fortnight in November and then again in March to wrap up the season. He said the European stint had added teeth to his game. Though he ruled out shifting his base to Europe, he hoped for a longer season there next year.Its tough to establish yourself in Europe as every team allows only one Asian, he said. Also to be by yourself in a different country... [it] is difficult to adapt. But thats the sacrifice you make to become a champion.Despite various challenges, Sathiyan managed to complete his engineering degree in 2014, one that possibly cost him a decent head start in the sport. This way, I figured, even if Im injured and my career is cut short, Id at least have the luxury of an option, he said with a laugh. Tony Romo Womens Jersey . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. 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Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder have reached an agreement in principle on a new contract potentially worth $85.7 million over the next three seasons, league sources told ESPN. The deal includes a player option that would allow Westbrook to still become a free agent after the 2017-18 season.Westbrook, who has played all eight seasons of his career for the Thunder, will sign the contract Thursday in Oklahoma City, sources said. The Thunder announced a news conference on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET for what the team called a major announcement.Talks between the sides centered on the addition of two more years to Westbrooks current deal, which expires after the 2016-17 season. The new deal would call for Westbrooks salary to jump from $17.8 million next season to the maximum $26.5 million. He would then earn the max in the next two seasons if he exercises the third-year option.The player option for the third season of the deal will allow WWestbrook to capitalize on the league rule allowing players who have completed 10 seasons to earn a larger max salary.dddddddddddd?In the wake of former MVP Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder had a new offseason objective: locking up Westbrook to a long-term deal. Oklahoma City removed its qualifying offer to restricted free agent Dion Waiters to free up cap space to offer Westbrook a max extension. Waiters agreed to a deal with the Miami Heat last month.Westbrook had a season for the ages in 2015-16, tying Magic Johnson for the most triple-doubles in the past 50 years with a league-high 18, including six in the month of March.A five-time All-Star and two-time All-Star Game MVP, Westbrook averaged 23.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.4 assists last season and finished fourth in the MVP voting. ' ' '