Bengal paddler Sutirtha Mukherjee’s story is a perfect mix of grit, hard work, determination, and talent. With results to show for it.
The Naihati girl, along with close friend and fellow-Naihati paddler Ayhika Mukherjee, had clinched India’s first-ever medal in women’s doubles (a bronze) at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year. The pair had lost to the North Korean pair of Chu Suyong and Pak Sugyong 4-3 in the semi-finals. But their bigger achievement was ousting Chinese world champions Meng Chen and Yidi Wang in the quarter-finals.
Two years away from the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games, Sutirtha is already taking firm steps towards improving her show at the next quadrennial meet.
Speaking to The Telegraph from Chennai where she will be playing for U Mumba TT in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), the 28-year-old said: “The Hangzhou Asian Games was a high point of my career but I am determined to better my show. I intend to change the colour of my medal in Nagoya. And my work, to that end, has begun.”
Work, for her, is the UTT matches that she will play — the tournament begins on Thursday — and the other international tournaments where she has to perform well in order to improve her rankings.
“UTT is a big platform where a player can explore herself,” she said. “To play with and against many foreign players and to be exposed to foreign coaches helps one improve one’s game. I am particularly happy to be playing with Aruna Qadri and 2024 Olympian from Spain, Maria Xiao, and under a coach like John Murphy.
“The team bonding in U Mumba TT is super and we get full support from the manager and support staff,” she added.
Her first match in the tournament is on Saturday, against Dabang Delhi.
Sutirtha’s doubles partner Ayhika is on a rival team, the Puneri Paltan Table Tennis.
Ayhika was a reserve player in the recently-concluded Paris Olympics squad. Speaking of her, Sutirtha said: “Ayhika is a very close friend and a playing partner whose game I know like the back of my hand since we grew up together hitting the table tennis ball under the guidance of Mihir Ghosh.”
After being groomed at the same academy in Naihati, the duo have been reunited at the Dhanuka Dhunseri Soumyadeep Poulomi TT Academy.
What keeps their rivals guessing is the contrasting types of rubbers the girls use. While Sutirtha has a plain backhand rubber, for her forehand she uses a pimple-type rubber. Ayhika on the other hand uses anti-spin for her backhand, which is meant for her blocking game, and has long pimples on the front for her forehand.
“This is highly effective for us and confuses our opponents,” said Sutirtha.
An Olympian herself, when asked to comment on the fate that befell Vinesh Phogat in Paris, the young paddler said: “Terribly unfortunate. But then ups and downs are a part of every sportsperson’s life and you have to bounce back and carry on.”
Sutirtha should know, for she has had her fair share of setbacks too.
“Which is why,” she continued, “Simone Biles is my idol. Apart from being an incredible gymnast, look at the way she bounced back in Paris after her Tokyo meltdown.”
