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Virat Kohli Fanboy Ankur Bhattacharjee Looks To Channel Aggression To Make Bengal & India Proud
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Ankur Bhattacharjee, an 18-year-old table tennis player from West Bengal, aims to continue the state's legacy, inspired by cricket icons Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya.
Having started playing table tennis only after his parents insisted when he was nine years old, the now 18-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee showed that he had the genes to carry forward the family legacy. The youngster was fond of cricket, but on his birthday, he listened to his parents and managed to counter 73 balls on his first try.
West Bengal has always given rise to numerous paddlers, and Ankur is one among them. The state has boasted of talents like Soumyajit Ghosh and Mouma Das over the years, and there is a slew of youngsters who are coming through.
Asked how he wants to take the legacy of Bengal TT forward, Ankur says, while speaking to News18 Sports on the sidelines of the Ultimate Table Tennis' Season 6 in Ahmedabad, 'Bengal TT has always produced at least one player for a long time who was among the top four Indians. But the last four to five years haven't seen any from our state. I just played the World Championships, and it was an amazing experience. I will next play the Asian Championships and try to win gold, making India and Bengal proud."
Ankur also narrated his experience of playing the World Champs. 'It was amazing. I won the first game against Lam Siu Hang but lost 1-4. But I got a hands-on experience on how the big stage is, and I am really glad," Ankur says.
As the likes of the 18-year-old take centre stage in Indian table tennis, veteran Sharath Kamal has bid goodbye to the sport. Having played with and against him, Ankur narrated what was his biggest learning from the legendary player's career.
'The biggest lesson is that he never gave up. To keep on with performances and going on to represent the country at the Olympics is very tough. I think it is a lesson for all as to how disciplined one has to be for long-term success," Ankur gushes.
A look at the teenager's play and his style would remind one of ace Indian batter Virat Kohli. Ankur is known to be a huge fan of the latter and asked about the IPL 2025 final that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru won, the youngster had a huge smile on his face.
'I support Kohli with all my heart, and not just for him, I watch all of India's cricket matches. Hardik Pandya is also one of my favourite players. But I really wanted Kohli to win the IPL this year, and he did, so I am really glad," Ankur says.
'I try to learn certain things from Kohli's game, especially his aggression. It makes a difference to mine. In the case of Pandya, I think he is a very mentally strong player, and I believe that table tennis requires a lot of mental strength. Especially in leagues like UTT, where it is best of 3, the matches are very fast-paced and mental strength is necessary," Ankur adds.
Even as he tries to imbibe Kohli's aggression, how much does that fuel him to improve his performance? 'The aggression in me ensures that I don't see who my opponent is. I just believe that if I give my 100%, I can beat anyone," Ankur says.
But aggression is often seen as a negative emotion, which can have its downsides. 'Although it hasn't happened to me yet, at times the aggression takes us away from our plans, and sometimes, staying cool is necessary. But for me, aggression has helped," Ankur says.
