For Himani and Suyash Chaturvedi, the sport of table tennis goes way beyond just giving them a career.
A shared enthusiasm for the sport between the two paddlers later became a telling factor in bringing their hearts together, a symbolic knot of their partnership on and off the court.
In Prime Table Tennis – Madhya Pradesh, the dynamic couple was placed in separate teams, and for better or worse, they were unfortunate to not face each other in the course of the tournament.
Representing Team Yodhas, Suyash went as far as the semifinals of the competition, but for Himani, who was with Team SensaTTions, her run ended in the group stage.
“It (Prime Table Tennis) is exciting even though we didn’t get a chance to compete yet because we haven’t played a match against each other. We aimed to reach the semi-finals so that at least one of us would make it to the finals but that didn’t happen,” said Suyash, in an exclusive interview with Read on the sidelines of PTT-MP.
The table tennis connection
Himani’s table tennis started with her father, who was a coach. She quickly rose the rank and became a proficient paddler.
Having started her career in 1994, her longevity is amazing, given that just last year, she represented Madhya Pradesh in the National Games and helped bring home a bronze medal, the first for the state in this sport.
“I love table tennis because I’ve devoted a lot of time towards the sport. Due to the fast nature of the sport, it has helped us stay fit and active throughout our life,” she said.
Suyash, on his part, has been a great paddler in his own right, winning medals in the National Games in 2002 and 2003, and thanks to that, he got a job in the railways.
It was during his first posting at Rajkot he met Himani, and what started as a table tennis partnership soon turned into a lifetime partnership.
“Himani’s hometown is Rajkot and coincidentally, my first job in the Railways was also in Rajkot. I joined there in 2006. Within an year we became each other’s practice partners and within 6 years we became each other’s life partners. That’s how we ended up together,” said Suyash.
Himani too got into the railways in 2008 and the couple have since been playing the sport without the worry of financial sustenance.
“They have given us 3pm to 6pm for training everyday. We utilize those hours to our benefit, practice, and enjoy the sport of table tennis,” Suyash added, talking about how this flexibility helped them focus on table tennis.
An upward trend in table tennis development
Having been involved in the game for decades, Himani and Suyash were very optimistic about the development of the sport in India.
“We’ve seen a lot of improvement in both men’s and women’s teams in table tennis in the last 4-5 years,” Suyash said, adding that “Ultimate Table Tennis has raised the bar for young talent in the country. Players of different skillset play against each other at a grander stage and it has improved their gameplay overall.”
While UTT was for international players, Prime Table Tennis aims to replicate it at the grassroots level, which has been very well received in Madhya Pradesh, where the tournament happened for the first time.
What has captured everyone’s attention is PTT’s unique format that has allowed youngsters and veterans all compete in an even footing, making it a very interesting and exciting tournament for domestic paddlers.
“UTT is a platform only for the senior women and men in the sport. Whereas PTT has a more interesting format with both established and upcoming players playing together. It creates a unique bond among teams and it provides a lot to the young players in terms of learning. We are very grateful to the league and the people behind it for focusing on the big picture. The innovation in the rules and format brought by them are beyond our imaginations.” Suyash remarked.
Himani shared the same sentiment as well, stating that such tournaments help them positively help the youngsters.
“Through this league, we can help the young players grow. Playing side by side ensures unfiltered communication where we can easily transfer our knowledge and they can grasp it quickly,” she said.
She further added “They can understand the technicalities of the sport better this way. It builds their enthusiasm and confidence when they win a point among the established players.”
Suyash and Himani’s table tennis legacy is all set to continue, with their 10-year-old daughter ready to take up the mantle after them.
“We have 2 daughters. Elder one also plays table tennis. She will represent MP in the nationals this year. She currently ranks #3 in MP in the U11 category,” said Himani, before Suyash concluded saying “We wish to contribute to this sport as a family.”
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