'Its just the Beginning’: Syndrela Das' Mother Proud after Teenager's Historic Asian Games Call-Up | Exclusive

Syndrela Das has seen herself creating history as the young teenager from Kolkata has been picked in the India squad for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships and Asian Games.

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has named the India squad as Syndrela has created history, leapfrogging star name Manika Batra, who has been placed in the reserves for the two prestigious tournaments.

At the forefront of the headlines is Syndrela Das, the talented teenager from Kolkata. Selected for both the Asian Games and Commonwealth squads, Syndrela has become the youngest Indian player ever to feature in an Asian Games table tennis team. Her inclusion marks a significant milestone for Indian table tennis, signaling a strong push toward youth integration alongside experienced campaigners.

Syndrela has been in impressive form recently, including a notable upset victory earlier in 2026 where she defeated Luxembourg veteran Ni Xia Lian (with a 46-year age gap) at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana. Her selection underscores her rapid rise and potential to contribute in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles formats. And after her selection, MyKhel caught up with Syndrela's mother, who has been a pillar for her in every step.

"I'm really happy. At such a young age, she has been handed a chance to participate in such a prestigious tournament. This will help her to learn and grow both as a player and an individual. We are confident that this experience will help her as it's just the beginning of her journey. With hard work, dedication, we hope to achieve many more," an elated mother, Mrs Susmita Das, told this website.

Syndrela has been a key name in recent times in the Table Tennis circuit. The youngster is just 16, but she continues to pull off excellent results, most recently in WTT Feeder Pristhina, where Syndrela clinched Women's Doubles Crown with Divyanshi Bhowmick. In the singles circuit, she has been improving rapidly as well, playing a plethora of tournaments across the globe.

In terms of domestic rankings, Syndrela is currently placed 2nd, which played a big part in her selection. And amid the huge workload, the mother has been a constant motivation for the budding star.

"It's actually part of her game. She knew from the very beginning of this kind of thing. She travels a lot. She knows she has to do this because she is participating as a youth player. Basically, she is a youth player. And she is maintaining roles for both seniors and youth. We have said one thing to her, which is to work hard as this is the time to learn. Maybe she is struggling to give her full in them, as mostly she is without proper coaching and rehabilitation, but she has taken up the challenge."

Syndrela has been honing her skills across age levels and her mother instilled a reverse mindset, which is paving the success. Since her early days, Syndrela has been taught to take on the bigger names, bigger age-group players, which has been pioneered by her in the Indian Table Tennis circuit.

"Earlier, there used to be an age discrepancy in Table Tennis. But we encouraged Syndrela to take on elder and much more bigger names. At state level and national level, Syndrela was the one who started playing in the Senior division and pushing for it at a young age."

And to be honest, Syndrela's hard work and mindset have been contagious, as many youngsters across India have come forward to showcase their skills and go the extra mile even at age-group levels.

As the Asian Games approaches, Syndrela's mother wishes to be by her daughter in Japan. With a number of competitions ahead of that, the focus remains the same, which is to remain insatiable in her quest for greatness!