BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO
MARGAO
An eight-years young Syndrela Das, manifested a dream to emulate her idol while spectating from the stands at the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) League 2018 in Kolkata.
And the Bengali rising star is living that dream in her maiden UTT season representing Dempo Goa Challengers at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, in Taleigao, with her life from an aspiring professional paddler coming full circle.
Reflecting on the narrative, she exudes delight and confidence in maximising her potential to reach further heights. “In 2018, I was just in the stands and I got a chance to be in the VIP box. I also got an opportunity to take a photo with Manika (Batra) di. She was with her fans, and I was so happy to see her. It was such a wonderful experience to watch big stars performing that time in front of me,” the 16-year-old sensation reminisced.
Coming to the present, Syndrela divulged that her coach told her she still has a long way to go, and she agrees, after playing and defeating Manika earlier this season. The Kolkata-based paddler bettered her idol 3-0 (11-10, 11-9, 11-9) in her franchise’s second tie against Ahmedabad APL Pipers.
“In 2018, I used to dream I could be a better player like her (Manika Batra) and I hoped I could play with her one day. That is a dream come true. Beating her, I felt very happy and after that I saw my photo with her eight years back and it was a wholesome moment. I really adore her and respect her a lot,” the rising paddler stated.
Competitive table tennis began for Syndrela aged eight, when she participated at a mixed tournament organized at her club in Kolkata. “In the final, I beat one boy 3-0 and after receiving the trophy, my interest in the game grew. I wanted more trophies and medals. It became a hunger. After my participation at the beginner’s level club tournament, and having watched UTT 2018 in Kolkata, I began playing professionally and started getting more and more trophies and medals,” the table tennis prodigy divulged. It was only after UTT 2018, when she came under the wing of former national champion and Arjun Awardee, Soumyadeep Roy, that her dreams began to take shape. “I joined his academy which is five minutes away from my home in Kolkata. After that I started playing professionally under his stead,” she said.
Describing her experience in her maiden season in UTT as wonderful, Syndrela acknowledges the support of her teammates at the franchise-based league. “So far it has been great. I have been lucky to have teammates who are motivating and also fun to be with. I have been playing well and the coaches are unbelievable. They support me so much. The motto of our team now is enjoying the game and playing with more focus and it is going pretty well. And we have not lost a tie yet,” the exciting Dempo Goa Challengers talent gushed.
Stating further, she revealed, “All of them are very disciplined and they teach me a lot of things which would help me to be a better player. Playing mixed doubles with Alvaro (Robles) has been a great pleasure. He is such a great player. Whenever I make mistakes, he (Alvaro) does not want me to take pressure. He allows me to enjoy and communicate so that we both agree to whatever we are planning. I am looking forward to playing with him even more. Also, my teammate, Bernie (Bernadette Szocs) who is so experienced, tells me how I can improve after each match. They are both helping me in the best way possible.”
Syndrela admitted that the excellent performances of her teammates, rubbed on to her with positivity. “Earlier, I was feeling a little more pressurized when I was about to go and play my match. But later on, after playing, thanks to my teammates who have been winning all their matches and the points we had were so high, I did not take pressure to take out one game. I could play freely and enjoy,” she matter-a-factly stated.
On her selection to represent India at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2026, Asian Games 2026 and the Youth Olympics 2026, Syndrela expressed immense satisfaction. “This means a lot to me as achieving this at such a young age is no joke. I am the youngest player to do so as well. I am extremely happy,” she remarked.
But Syndrela’s immediate aim would be to help Dempo Goa Challengers win their third title in her debut UTT season. On Friday, she essayed her role well in taking her team one step closer, as they steamrolled their opponents, Dabang Delhi T.T.C. in the first semifinal with an 8-2 tie score. The Indian player of the tie, registered a spectacular 3-0 win in her crucial mixed doubles encounter with Alvaro Robles against Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Maria Xiao. The formidable Dempo Goa Challengers takes on the winner of the other semifinal between HVR Kolkata Thunder Blades and U Mumba TT in the final on Sunday.
