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In the bustling world of Indian table tennis, a 17-year-old named Syndrela Das is becoming a new beacon of hope.
Fresh off clinching the U17 girls' singles title at the WTT Youth Contender Vadodara, she's gearing up for the senior WTT Feeder event, proof that Bengal's table tennis conveyor belt continues to produce world-class prospects.
Syndrela had an outstanding U17 campaign, where she beat Hansini Mathan in the final. Subsequently, the U19 tournament ended in an unexpected defeat as she exited the tournament after a quarterfinal defeat against Jennifer Varghese. But she added another feather in her crown by clinching the U19 Mixed Doubles title with Sarthak Arya.
On the first day of the Feeder event, MyKhel caught up with Syndrela for an exclusive
chat, where she opened up on a plethora of aspects.
Das radiated quiet confidence as she reflected on her Youth Contender win. Having competed here before, she knows the venue's pressures intimately.
"I'm excited to play in the WTT Feeder now, which I'll be starting from tomorrow. Hopefully, I can perform well here. "
The Self Motivational Drive
With top seeds in her path during the U-17 event, her biggest hurdle? Going it alone. Syndrela stresses the mental strength as she came to the event without a coach. With her rivals getting guidance from the sidelines, the Kolkata girl decided to motivate herself.
"I was playing alone with no coach and everybody had a coach. It made me have a small challenge that I can win alone with my own brain and play with my own planning. So, I think that made me motivated a lot. "
The Initial Journey
Her journey began casually, blending table tennis with other sports like her second-favorite, swimming. It all started as a hobby, but it ended up as an indispensable part of her life.
"Before the age of 10, I used to play table tennis just as a hobby, along with many other sports and activities. My parents wanted me to stay healthy and active. But from 10 years old, I started playing seriously under the guidance of Soumyadip Roy and Poulomi Ghatak. "
A mixed doubles win against boys and girls ignited her spark, leading her to the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) event in Kolkata in 2018. Spotting Soumyadip Sir's new academy in Jadavpur, conveniently near home, marked her professional pivot.
Keeping Academics Strong
Balancing blades and books is no small feat, yet Das thrives. Last year, amid board exams, she skipped the U-17 Youth Contender event but dominated the U-19 category upon arrival-with zero practice.
"It is hard to balance (sports and study). After all the hard training sessions every day, I still have time to go and study. I just gave my boards and came here and played under 19 and I won that tournament without any practice. "
Interestingly, Syndrela also did exceedingly well in her board exams, cracking an 82 per cent score in the academics marksheet.
The upcoming Feeder Challenge
Now eyeing the Feeder's stiffer senior competition, Das has used her four-day break wisely. The youngster acknowledges the competition will be tougher as she locks horns with some daunting names. She will play her first match on Thursday as her journey begins in the Feeder.
"I'm preparing still because I still have one more day. This is a senior tournament. The pressure is different. I know many of the players, and I have played against many of them. So, I have to plan accordingly and play wisely. "
The Bengal and International Icons
From her Kolkata roots, Das sees Bengal's table tennis scene exploding. "Now there are so many players pursuing table tennis as their main career," she observes.
Bengal has been the abode of Table Tennis's flourishing in India. Players like Poulomi Ghatak, Soumyadip Roy, Mouma Das have been the flagbearers for the nation, and they all hail from Bengal. And the teenager has been aiming to emulate their path.
"My coaches are my idols, and Mouma ma'am, as she also plays in the same style as me. Forehand shot pimple and backhand plain. I admire Sutirtha didi (Sutirtha Mukherjee) also. "
Globally, the Bengal girl has a huge admiration for China's Wang Manyu, who has won the last two Gold medals in the Olympics, in 2020 and 2024. Syndrella depicts the attacking style and aggression of Manyu, which has enticed her the most, as she also wishes to follow the same attacking mindset.
As the sun sets for the night, Syndrela will be up for a new battle from Thursday onwards. The youngster has been racking up medals in the youth events, perhaps it's time to take the next step to reach loftier heights.
