"God could not be everywhere," wrote Rudyard Kipling, "and therefore he made mothers." India's top two table tennis talents can certainly attest to the benevolent ubiquity of motherhood. "She has always been a fantastic multitasking lady," said world #32 Sathiyan Gnanasekaran of his mother Malarkodi (pictured). "The effort she put in in the early days was the reason why I am going strong in the sport." "If not for her, it would have been difficult for me to focus on the sport," said nine-time Indian national champion and world #31 Sharath Kamal Achanta of his mother, Annapoorna. "Her time management was excellent." When Achanta received the Arjuna Award, India's highest national honor in sport, he was busy competing in a tournament. Fittingly, his mother Annapoorna, who made it all possible, accepted the award on his behalf from India's then-president Abdul Kalam. Both top guns paint similar pictures of loving mothers who kept their hectic lives as young sports stars on track, providing constant support and a push when necessary. Gnanasekaran recalls the painful time after the death of his father. "I was totally devastated," he says. "I didn’t know where to start again." Fortunately, his mother Malarkodi was there to give him the encouragement he needed. "Without her, it would have been impossible to come back," remembers Gnanasekaran. "She stood beside me, gave me that strength to get back to court. She told me, 'Dad always liked you playing table tennis. This is the biggest tribute you could give him.'" Gnanasekaran has since risen to the highest world ranking in Indian history, reaching #24 last year. He has his sights set on an even bigger tribute to his family: an Olympic medal. "I'm really fortunate to have an iron lady as my mother," added Gnanasekaran, "as she has always supported me in my tough times and has been a guiding force to reach greater heights in the sport." The lord works in maternal ways.

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