Swede Johansson could be India's next table tennis coach

Keeping an eye on the 2012 London Olympics, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has recommended former Swedish star Anders Johansson's name to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for the post of foreign coach.

Johansson is associated with a top club named Ochsenhausen in Germany, a country where India's top paddler Sharath Kamal plays for a club called Grafelfing Munich.

"We have recommended two names to SAI, one of them is a Czech coach and the other one is Johansson. It will take around a month to decide who will get the nod," TTFI secretary general Dhanraj Choudhary said.

Choudhary said Johansson is a very high-profile coach and the federation is keen on having him on board.

"He is a very renowned and reputed coach. We want him to become the coach. It is an Olympic qualification year and it is important for the paddlers," he said.

Indian paddlers have been without a foreign coach since Italian Massimo Constantini's two-year long stint ended after the Asian Games in Guangzhou last year.

"Massimo have served Indian table tennis well and was a good coach but Johansson is better," Choudhary said.