Syndrela Das Exclusive: ‘For me, I am the best’, India’s Table Tennis Prospect ready for Next Challenges

For Syndrela Das, the transition from being a promising youth player to competing regularly at the senior level is happening at remarkable speed. At just 16, the Indian paddler is already testing herself against established international opponents, making deep runs at WTT events and earning a place in the senior Indian setup.

Considered a bright prospect at the start of this calendar year, Syndrela has propelled herself into the mix of Indian Table Tennis within a few months.

As she prepares for the National Championships in Kanpur, another major opportunity is already waiting on the horizon, the Asian Games. The last seven months have brought a series of important milestones, and Syndrela sums up the period simply as "a roller coaster of emotions and results."

Her recent progress on the WTT circuit has further strengthened that confidence. Syndrela has continued to compete against experienced international opponents, including a quarter-final appearance at the WTT Feeder Prishtina and a notable five-game victory over Luxembourg's Ni Xia Lian at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana.

Her recent results are part of a wider development that has seen her increasingly establish herself on the senior circuit. She also won the Mixed Doubles at WTT Vadodara, and recently was bestowed with multiple crowns at the Commonwealth TT Championships for the Indian senior women's team.

And amid the frenzy, Syndrela sat with MyKhel for an exclusive interview, depicting her journey and a plethora of things.

Learning to stay in the present

For Syndrela, one of the biggest changes has been mental rather than technical. As her performances improved, she began dealing with greater expectations from coaches, parents, people around her and herself. Earlier, those expectations could affect her concentration during matches, particularly when she started thinking about what might happen after the next point or set.

"I would say that I'm not thinking about what I used to think about before: what will happen after this point and what will happen after this set or the next point and what will my coach tell to me, what will my parents if I say to me if I lose," she explains.

She gradually learned to control those thoughts and remain focused on the present. "And this thing I thought that in match it was reflecting a lot. And I learned to control how to stay in present. And now that's the change I am putting."

That change also helps her deal with the outside noise surrounding her rapid rise. "Because I was as I was performing better and better, I knew people would have expectations from me also as well as my coaches, my parents, everyone, also me myself. But then I was like, the main point is to play TT, not to care about what everyone is saying from outside and in."

The moment she knew she belongs

Syndrela identifies a senior medal at the Nationals last year as a turning point in her development. It gave her the belief that she can compete successfully against senior players and not merely remain a youth prospect.

"Yes, last year with getting medal in the national in seniors, I proved myself that I can be better in the senior category as well," she says.

That confidence grows as she starts performing well in senior international tournaments and beating higher-ranked opponents.

"And also slowly, slowly playing good in the senior international tournaments and beating higher-ranked opponents has led to my belief that I can be better in the senior as well."

Her performances on the WTT circuit are now giving that belief a stronger foundation, as she continues to test herself against experienced opposition.

The UTT lesson, Doubles with Divyanshi

Her first season in UTT provided another important lesson. Syndrela recalls the final, where she came back hard but only to lose in the golden point to Anusha Kutumbale, an experience that shows her how quickly momentum can change.

"I gave a comeback after 10-5 with her and in the golden point, she took the game."

The experience lefe her with a simple message that she carries into future matches, a season where she beat the likes of Manika Batra.

"This is how fast it changes, like one set could change the whole thing. I would say that do not give up unless and until you win the whole match or anything like this."

Although Syndrela has partnered with many in the women's doubles division, her friend Divyanshi Bhowmick makes her life easy. The teenager feels singles is more demanding when it comes to the formats, but Divyanshi's presence makes her life easy.

"With Divyanshi, I know how she plays. She knows how I play and we both trust each other. So it's much easier for us to play."

'For me, I am the best'

Syndrela's growing confidence is perhaps most evident in her approach to competition. Asked about the ruthless edge she has displayed in recent matches, she gives a response that reflects her increasingly strong competitive mentality.

"Yes, I would say now for me, I am the best. I don't want anybody to win against me."

For her, that mentality is about winning, but it does not mean forgetting to enjoy the sport. "And yeah, this is the motivation, I would say that now I'm just about winning." She adds, "But of course, I enjoy the match and I tend to play free and try to play as much and try to enjoy the game as much as I can and then try to play free."

Top 100 within reach

Syndrela's immediate ranking target is clear. At the time of the interview, she is ranked 101 in the world and is just a place away from the Top 100. The longer-term ambition is to continue climbing and eventually break into the Top 50.

The ranking goal provides another layer of motivation as she continues to compete on the WTT circuit, where every tournament offers an opportunity to gain experience and move higher.

Kanpur first, Asian Games next

The National Championships in Kanpur are the immediate priority. Syndrela wants to perform well and improve her national ranking before turning her attention fully towards the Asian Games, where she will be part of the Indian women's team.

"Yes, to play well here also in the national championships, currently where I am right now, national ranking."

She also sees the Asian Games as an opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience at a major international event.

"And over there, it's going to be a huge experience for me when I go there. And also playing over there would be even much, much better, I would say."

The prospect of travelling to Japan adds another layer of excitement. Perhaps along with the performance on the court, Syndrela's love for Sushi adds to the excitement for the Japan trip.

Syndrela Das Interview Video - Watch

No pressure, just love for the game

Despite the growing expectations around her, Syndrela insists that pressure does not dominate her thinking. When asked whether the rapid rise and expectations create additional pressure, her response is simple: "It doesn't."

She believes that absence of pressure has helped her perform. "I don't have it. That's why I think I win. I don't have it."

Her explanation comes down to her love for the sport. "I just like, I love playing table tennis. I just do it from the core of my heart and that's it."

Inspired by Wang Manyu

Away from the table, Syndrela retains the interests of a teenager, enjoying travel with friends, food and exploring new places. She counts Japanese and Chinese cuisine among her favourites, loves dumplings and sushi, and also enjoys Bengali food, including pulao.

Her table tennis inspiration is China's Wang Manyu, particularly her aggressive style and the way she conducts herself both on and off the table.

"Her aggressive style, and also the way she behaves on table and off the table. And yeah, this is what I look up to."

As she turns 17 on Sunday (August 23), Syndrela's approach remains simple - keep competing, keep learning and keep enjoying the journey.