Table Tennis in India
India is not a country which is open to new things. India is shy and conservative. India is content with what it already has. “If it worked for us a century back, it is will work even now” this is the shared mentality of a very narrow minded nation who on the other hand holds true to its traditional values beautifully. This is the reason why anything out of the ordinary is met with the rolling of an eye. But unfortunately, how much ever we are proud of good thing, a change would always be better as it will help us develop further. So we have our staples. We have our favored Prime ministers; our favored actors – Amitabh Bachchan, Rajanikanth, Mohanlal and Mammootty who are past their prime but still worshipped in certain places; our favored mode of transport, however outdated that might be( yes I am talking about cycle rickshaws); our favored traditional attire and of course our favored sport- Cricket.
I wait for the day when another sport would attain the level of popularity that cricket holds. Cricket has reigned supreme for a ‘century’ (pun intended) now and will continue to do so for another hundred years or so by the looks of it. With all the hoopla associated with cricket and its celebrity cricket players, what are the odds that another sport might measure up? Even the national sport- hockey doesn’t have a chance, then how does one expect an indoor game like Table Tennis to compete with the big boys. Most of the people in India know Table Tennis by another name- Ping Pong. To them it is a small level indoor game, played just for the fun of it in gyms and club houses. Little do they know that the game of table tennis requires a higher level of dexterity, agility, speed and the capability to think on your feet.
India’s number one table tennis player to date is Soumyajit Ghosh who on January 12, 2013 became the youngest national champion after winning the the Indian National Table Tennis championship. He defeated Achanta Sharath Kamal, a six time champion, in the summit clash of the 74th National Table Tennis Championships. He beat the very best to acquire the number one rank in India and the 68th in Asia along with the Maharaja Pitampura Cup.
Soumyajit Ghosh profile has come a long way since his debut at the Olympics.
