The rise of young paddler Poymantee Baisya

It was a stunner when a young Poymantee Baisya defeated seasoned names like Sreeja Akula and Ayhika Mukherjee on her way to the national title in December 2023.

The youngster from Bengal played admirably to defeat Ayhika in the final and take the national crown. She rates her national title as a special one.

"Last year, I won the national championship, and I remember it. Never expected that I would win the tournament. The championship victory was very special," Poymantee told The Bridge in an exclusive interview.

The 21-year-old took up table tennis after she saw it on TV and started liking it.

"I started watching table tennis on TV. I liked it, and then I started playing. My parents enrolled me in a local club. In the initial days, I played table tennis just for fun. When I turned 10, I started playing tournaments. After one year of winning the tournaments and building my confidence, I strongly felt that I wanted to build my career in table tennis," she explained the start of her table tennis journey.

The paddler who represented Chennai Lions in the IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis in the last season battled self-doubt but was supported by her coaches and family in the journey.

"My family and my coach are very supportive. My mother travels with me everywhere, and she attends all my matches. It kept me motivated," she said.

"Despite having the support of family, there were moments of self-doubt. There were times when it seemed like I was doing everything right, but things just weren't working out. That's when my parents and coach would encourage me. If I perform well in a tournament, I will stay motivated. That increased my hunger to perform well. I wanted to play for the national team and win medals," Poymantee elaborated on the challenges.

At the IndianOil UTT, Poymantee got a chance to meet her childhood favourite Achanta Sharath Kamal, and play alongside him.

"My overall experience is quite good, especially being part of a team with foreign players and seasoned Indian professionals. That helped me grow as a player. Being part of a team with foreign players and seasoned Indian professionals like Sharath Kamal has been my favorite since childhood. Playing together with him is special," said Poymantee.

Playing for the country and wearing the national jersey has been one of the best moments for Poymantee and she terms it as a dream come true.

"Representing India on the international stage is a huge honor and a source of immense pride for me. It's a dream come true, and it pushes me to keep improving. In the junior category. I played three to four tournaments, and last year I played against China as the senior India team in the mixed world cup," Poymantee said.

The youngster is a believer in the fact that Indian players are improving and will be soon achieving great success at the top level.

"Many young talents are emerging in the sport. With dedication and support, I believe Indian players can achieve great success on the international stage," she concluded.