Rohit Bhandiye
PANAJI
It has been a season of India’s young brigade at UTT season 7 in Goa. The last couple of weeks has witnessed top-notch table tennis action at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Taleigao. The stellar performances from the younger generation of Indian paddlers - Abhinandh PB, Syndrela Das, Taneesha Kotecha, Sayali Wani have shown that the future of Indian table tennis is in safe hands.
“The young players are fearless. By getting constant exposure at the international level while playing in junior circuit, they have got a belief that they can beat anyone in the world. That is what is reflected in their game and performance at UTT in Goa,” commented Achanta Sharath Kamal, 10-time national champion and 5-time Olympian.
Abhinandh PB’s performance has been the most standout. The 18-year-old boy from Chennai has been a ‘giant killer’ for Dempo Goa Challengers helping his team to reach the tournament finals.
Playing in his second UTT season, Abhinandh won five out of seven matches defeating higher-ranked players like Lilian Bardet, Youssef Abdelaziz and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.
"I consider a top player just like any other opponent. I don’t care if I win or lose; I just want to give my best. I have been in a really good shape so far mentally and physically and my game has improved a lot since last one year," Abhinandh said.
For someone who has only just turned 18, Abhinandh has shown exceptional maturity level.
Even former world no. 24 Sathiyan Gnanasekaran was impressed with Abhinandan to whom he lost in the crucial semi-final clash.
“Extremely happy with the guy, especially being from my hometown. The way he has displayed courage to beat top players in the world, it’s a phenomenal improvement in the last few years. I think he has a great future, and hope to see him in the Indian senior team very soon,” Sathiyan said.
Another youngster who was impressive was Syndrela Das from Kolkata. The 16-year-old stunned Manika Batra with a 3-0 (straight games) victory while playing for Dempo Goa Challengers. The teen, who once queued up as a young fan for a selfie with her idol Batra, pulled off the major upset.
"Beating Manika was not easy. I was a little nervous before the match, but once I entered the arena, I played fearlessly and didn't think of the score, I didn't think of my opponent. Beating my childhood idol was awesome moment for me," said Syndrela who will be the youngest athlete to represent India at the forthcoming 2026 Asian Games.
Apart from Manika, Syndrela even defeated another higher ranked opponent, Diya Chitale. She also partnered with two-time Olympian Alvaro Robles to beat the experienced duo of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Maria Xiao twice in mixed doubles.
Other than Abhinandh and Syndrela, young rising star Taneesha Kotecha also impressed in the two matches she got to play. The 20-year-old girl from Nashik delivered a standout performance when she stunned world no. 34 Anna Hursey 3-0, a player ranked more than 100 places above her. In an earlier match, Taneesha had beaten the much-experienced Diya Chitale.
Another player who managed to defeat the Indian table tennis star Manika Batra was 20-year-old Sayali Wani.
“It was a dream come true for me to beat Manika. She is the queen of Indian table tennis. I was a bit nervous to play against her and at the same time was excited to show my game. There was no pressure on me even if I lost. I think I played to my fullest potential and could manage to win, “ Sayali said.
Similarly, Payas Jain’s win against Manush Shah, Ankur Bhattacharjee's victory over Manav Thakkar showed that how far the country’s young paddlers have progressed. Manav (world no. 38) and Manush (world no. 40) are currently India’s highest ranked table tennis players in men’s singles.
The performance of the new generation of paddlers at UTT have shown that they are no longer content merely to compete with the established names, but to beat them handsomely.
