England paddler’s mother wishes an India cap for him

NEW DELHI - Table tennis player Andrew Baggaley is here representing England in the Commonwealth Games. But mother Yvonne Baggaley, who left India at the age of 19, wishes an India cap for her son.

It may come across as wishful thinking, but Yvonne has her reasons for wanting her son to play for India.

Yvonne was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, where she spent the first 19 years of her life before moving to England. Yvonne is also well versed in Hindi and simply loves everything about India.

“I would definitely want my son to play for this country. He has served in the England team for long and now I want him to show loyalty towards India. But I don’t know whether it is possible or not,” Yvonne, now in Delhi for the Games, told IANS.

Andrew has grabbed two gold and a silver since the sport was introduced in the Commonwealth Games programme eight years ago in Manchester. At 13, he turned professional, the youngest player to do so in England.

Now 27 years old, Andrew is an important member of the English squad and Yyonne reveals he was hospitalised two days before the whole contingent was to fly to Delhi.

“He was suffering from severe tonsillitis and was in the hospital for more than a week. It is a miracle that he is here and competing,” she said.

Table tennis runs in the Baggaley family and they are proud that Indian blood runs in their veins.

Andrew’s brother Stephen is a full-time coach back home while his father Stuart plays for a local club in Northampton.

“I can hit a few smashes too. It is fair to say that the game is in our blood,” said Yvonne.

And that is not all. The Baggaleys are rockstars in their own way.

Brothers Andrew and Stephen have a band of their own while their parents conduct music classes at home.

Coming back to ping pong, Andrew is here as a number two player after Paul Drinkhall, and the reigning national champion is capable of playing at any position if required.

“I have played the game for over fifteen years which is a lot more then other members of the team. I am happy to contribute to the team’s cause in whatever way I can. Positions don’t bother me,” said Andrew.

When asked whether he is harbouring thoughts of turning out for India sometime in the future, he said, “My mother is obsessed with this country. I can’t say anything as of now, but I think that is the only way to please her.”

–Indo-Asian News Service

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(Bharat Sharma can be contacted at