India's Table Tennis Stars Challenge Global Giants, Break Chinese Dominance
Indian table tennis stars are breaking barriers, beating global champions, and challenging China’s dominance with grit, training, and rising global ranks.
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India's table tennis sector is experiencing a strong comeback, with local paddlers defeating the best in the world rather than just competing. Thanks to tenacious athletes and coaches like national coach Saurav Chakraborty, the sport—once limited to classrooms and community halls—has established a significant place on the world stage.
Indian paddlers are changing the course of history with their spectacular wins over highly regarded Chinese opponents and their steady performances on the global scene. The pivotal moment occurred during the 2022 Asian Games, when Sutirtha and Ayhika Mukherjee stunned everyone by upsetting Meng Chen and Wang Yidi, China's second-ranked pair, in the women's doubles quarterfinals. India won its first-ever Asian Games women's doubles medal as a result of that match.
Leading figures in this movement, like Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, and the recently retired legend Sharath Kamal, have routinely broken down long-standing barriers and defeated world champions on their day.
Coach Saurav Chakraborty gave insights in an exclusive conversation with News24 before leaving for Buenos Aires, where India's best paddlers will participate in the WTT Contender 2025 from July 22–27. "Global rankings are steadily improving, and we're optimistic about winning medals this time," he stated.
A former Commonwealth medallist, Chakraborty credits the change to improved funding, facilities, and athlete-focused changes led by Kamlesh Mehta's Table Tennis Federation of India.
"There were no such opportunities in our day. But because of better coaching, stadiums, and even AI-backed training programs, we're now producing a generation of world-beaters," he said.
Every move, stroke, and opponent tactic is dissected down to the finest detail in today's coaching, according to Chakraborty. What was the outcome? Indian athletes are now able to compete with the top players from Japan, Germany, and China.
In India, the game of milliseconds and millimetres, table tennis, is finally getting the attention it merits. Furthermore, there is no denying the momentum, even though Chakraborty says that success is still a gradual process that happens "brick by brick, paddle by paddle."
The world is paying attention as India's paddlers have started a lengthy, resolute rally, despite the difficult route ahead.
