A drive down the memory lane

It was an honour bestowed onto me in real terms from the community of Table Tennis from across the world for my last week’s write-up, where each one said that they dreamed of so happening and The Indian Table Tennis teams has done it in the past. All I feel is that I am humbled for your regard and I thank you all for your every bit on it.

Mentioning the following I feel proud of the achievements of The Indian Table Tennis team in the past and our stars of the yesteryears laid the foundation for the generations to follow…………

Indian Table Tennis was among the best in the world. Now I would come to the pointers stated last week:

· Indians have been medallions in The World Table Tennis Championships in both teams and individuals.

Indian men Table Tennis Team, did what seems to be a dream. The Indian Men Table Tennis won the Bronze Medal in The 1926 World Table Tennis Championships in London, England. The Indian team consisted of:

Ø A.A. Fayzee

Ø A.H. Fayzee

Ø A.M. Peermohamed

Ø B.C. Singh

Ø S.R.G. Suppiah

That was not it for the Indian Challenge; S.R.G. Suppiah won the bronze medal in Men Singles too.

· Indians have played semifinals (or the final 4) in The World Table Tennis Championships.

Indian men team played the semi finals (or the final 4) of The 1926 World Table Tennis Championships in London, England of both singles and team championships. The various names can be realized in the previous pointer.

· Ample Indian Table Tennis players have played quarter finals (or final 8) in The World Table Tennis Championships. The Indian men team, The Indian Women team, The Indian Men Singles player, The Indian Men doubles pair, The Indian mixed doubles pair- all have played The World Table Tennis Championships quarter finals (Final 8).

It is a long list but I will surely name the ones I remember. If you find a name repeated, the no. of times the name is repeated, the same no. of quarters, the legend representing India has played:

Ø A.A. Fayzee

Ø A.H. Fayzee

Ø A.M. Peermohamed

Ø B.C. Singh

Ø S.R.G. Suppiah

Ø W. Ernest

Ø A.H. Fayzee

Ø Uttam Chandrana

Ø Ranbir Bhandari

Ø Kalyanpur Jayant

Ø De Jayant

Ø V. Sivaraman

Ø T. Thiruvengadam

Ø Sayeed Sultana

Ø Vijaya Rajagopalan

Ø A. Rukmini

Ø Gool Nasikwala

Ø Ranbir Bhandari

Ø Sayeed Sultana

Ø Prisca Nunes

Ø Rachel John

Ø Meena Parande

Ø Krishna Nagraj

It was the 1950 World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest, Hungary that for the first time an Indian Men doubles player entered the quarter finals. The Indian pair was of Uttam Chandrana and Ranbir Bhandari.

Going through my notes these are the names which activated the Indian Challenge or The Tri-colour in The World Table Tennis Championships. Surprisingly Twenty-Six (26) entries. Being The Chief Coach of Indian Table Tennis, I used to have discussions on these. The sorry part is they are Legends of Indian Table Tennis and always have been unsung.

Going through the list I have worked with Sh. V. Sivaraman, Sh. T. Thiruvengadam and Sh. Ranbir Bhandari in NIS, Patiala and I took over from Bhandari sahib (Ranbir Bhandari) as the Chief Coach and thus continued in the hierarchy of legends through my career. Sayeed Sultana migrated to Pakistan and came to India as the Coach of The Pakistan team for The 1987 World Table Tennis Championships, when I was the coach of The Indian team in the said Worlds’.

· It was in the 1951, World Table Tennis Championships in Austria that Indian Women started participating and finished 13^th and The Indian men team finished 10^th.

1951 was the year when the Indian Women made debut in World Table Tennis Championships and they finished 13^th and the Men team won the 10^th place.

· Bombay World Table Tennis Championships in 1952 were the World Championships where both The Indian Men and Women Team played the quarter finals (final 8) and finished seventh each and Indian Mixed doubles pair of Ranbir Bhandari and Sayeed Sultana played the quarter finals in the said worlds’.

It was the first time when the flagship event of The ITTF were hosted by India courtesy Late T.D. Ranga Ramanujam and it turned out to be the best Worlds’ in terms of performance for India. Both, The Indian Men and women team played the quarter finals (final 8) and finished seventh (7th) each. The Indian mixed doubles pair of Ranbir Bhandari and Sayeed Sultana, played the quarter finals.

Indian Men Team for 1952 Bombay Worlds (Seventh place)-

1. Ranbir Bhandari

2. Kalyanpur Jayant

3. De Jayant

4. V. Sivaraman

5. T. Thiruvengadam

Indian Women Team for 1952 Bombay Worlds (Seventh place)-

1. Gool Nasikwala

2. Vijaya Rajagopalan

3. A. Rukmini

4. Sayeed Sultana

Mixed doubles quarter finalist pair

1. Ranbir Bhandari

2. Sayeed Sultana

The performance of The Complete Indian Team has not been equaled bettered till date.

· It was in 1956 World Table Tennis Championships in Tokyo, Japan, was the one, where Krishna Nagraj played the Quarters and lost a very close contested match.

The 1956 World Table Tennis Championships was the famous one for many reasons for The Indian Table Tennis Team. It was the Worlds’ where an Indian player had played the quarter finals in Men singles. It was Krishna Nagraj who played the Men singles quarter final. It was a very well contested match in which the decider went on till deuce and Krishna Nagraj lost to the local boy, Akio Nohira of Japan. The Indian women team won the eighth position in that worlds’. Indian Women Team for 1956 Tokyo, Japan Worlds-

1. Rachel John

2. Prisca Nunes

3. Meena Parande

The other Indian to play the quarter final was Prisca Nunes, she partnered her USA Paddler Pauline Robinson of USA who got her country fourth position in the 1956 Tokyo World Table Tennis Championships.

This write-up of mine was to give the details on the various pointers in my previous write-up on History of Indian Table Tennis. As I said earlier please join me in applauding the deserving superstars of our past Indian team for flying The Tricolour high. All of them are unsung stars of India. Now I have given you the names of the Indian superstar Table Tennis players, facts and figures on them, who were performers, making it easier for you people to choose your idols. This is my submission for the day. Would definitely continue writing, its your love and regard, which makes me type on and on……………