As long as Sharath and I are in the team, India will be the team to beat on the world TT stage: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran

It was just a four-shot rally, when Drinkhall couldn't keep his return to Sathiyan's forehand on the table. Raising his hands in elation for a second, Sathiyan lay flat on the ground the next moment, while Drinkhall turned to the other side in dismay. The home crowd rose in support of both the players. Wiping the tears rolling out of his eyes, Sathiyan got up, and the two players shook hands. Admiration was the underlying theme of those scenes.

(AP Photo)For Sathiyan, it was like summiting a peak. It wasn't a gold medal, but a singles medal nevertheless, bronze that is -- his first at any quadrennial 'Games', fulfilling a promise he had quietly made to his dad up there in the heavens and to his mom, whom he calls 'the iron lady' of the family. The engineer from Chennai, who likes to knock around on the TT table, put his emotions into words in this chat with TimesofIndia.com.You lay flat on the ground after winning the point that clinched you the bronze medal. Take us through those moments...When you want something so badly and you achieve it after such an intense match, emotions come out. I had never cried on the court till now. I don't remember the last time I shed happy tears. I am always shouting and aggressive; that's the way I (usually) celebrate. This was something that came out naturally at that time...The sense of happiness and relief (after) my struggle and everything.

Probably it wouldn't have been the same had I won 4-0 or something. But the way it went, see-saw, then being 8-9 down in the seventh game and winning it 11-9, that was some match. It was certainly the hardest fought match of my career till now. After the men's team gold, you shared the singles podium with the legendary Sharath Kamal, who