Hyderabad, Oct. 29 -- Faking age was the bane of Indian sports for decades. Older players competed in lower age groups, demoralising the younger ones if not destroying their games and careers. It was no wonder that India fared poorly at the Olympics and other international sporting events, simply because the best would have fallen by the wayside.

In contrast, sports powerhouses, such as China, encouraged younger players to lock horns with their senior counterparts, especially in table tennis. The striplings would initially be nervous or overawed by their famous opponents. Over time, the younger crop would become fearless and come into their own.

A classic example is Chinese star Fan Zhendong. In the 2012 International Table Tennis Feder...