Ankur Bhattacharjee: Inspired by Kohli and Hardik, Bengal's teen TT star dreams big
A devotee of Lord Shiva, 18-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee is aggressive and fearless. He wants to play more international tournaments and ultimately win a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Ankur Bhattacharjee, who gave up his dream of playing cricket to take up table tennis for his parents, has had a phenomenal run in the Under-19 category. Now, the 18-year-old is hoping to replicate the same successes at the senior level, as many see him as the next big thing in Indian table tennis.
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On Wednesday (January 22), Ankur was all smiles, picking up his first senior title – in the men’s team event, in his first year with the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), at the ongoing 86th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships in Surat, Gujarat.
Devotee of Lord Shiva
Ankur, who is from Kolkata, West Bengal, has been unbeaten for three years in the U-19s, winning a hat-trick of Youth National Championships in boys singles. He has captured several titles in this age group at home and abroad, including 20 tournament successes in a row, since picking up the racquet as an 8-year-old at his father Angsuman Bhattacharya’s table tennis academy in Rajarhat, Kolkata.
Other achievements include the WTT Youth Contender title in Tunis, second-place finishes at the WTT Youth Star Contender events in Doha and Damman, and three bronze medals in a row at the Junior Asian Championships.
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For Ankur, cricket was his first love, and wanted to be a batter but due to financial difficulties of his parents, they introduced him to table tennis, and it clicked from day one when he played a 70 to 72-shot rally in 2014, according to his father.
Ankur and his father Angsuman Bhattacharya pose with the men's team event trophy after PSPB won the title against RSPB in Surat. Photo by Aprameya C
“I wanted to be a cricketer – a batsman, but my parents could not afford this expensive sport. And, since both my father and mother had played table tennis, they introduced me to it and I stuck to it. What I have achieved so far is because of my parents, who are also my coaches,” Ankur told The Federal in an exclusive chat at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium, the venue for the senior nationals, in Surat.
Fan of Kohli, Hardik
Ankur is a typical Indian youth – aggressive, fearless, loves watching cricket, and has tattoos on his body.
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A big fan of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, Ankur admits that his aggression at the table is inspired by Kohli, and the tattoos too, from both Indian cricketers.
“I am a big fan of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. I love Kohli’s aggression and the way he plays on a cricket field. So far, I have not had an opportunity to meet Kohli but was fortunate to spend some time with Hardik on a flight. I took a selfie with him and also got some tips on how to handle pressure situations. Hardik’s advice for me was ‘believe in yourself, everything is possible’,” Ankur said.
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The tattoos that Ankur has on his body include Lord Shiva, a snake, a dragon, and a tiger.
“Ankur is a devotee of Lord Shiva, hence he has his tattoo on his bicep. Every morning, Ankur worships Lord Shiva at home. And, the tiger tattoo is because some people call him ‘Bengal Tiger’,” his father Angsuman told The Federal as he watched his son play from the indoor stadium’s stands.
Ankur’s ‘best win’ of season
With expectations high on him, Ankur knows what he has to do, and says he is focussed on his goal – qualifying and winning a medal for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Ankurs parents Angsuman Bhattacharya and Kuntali Bhattacharya at the senior TT natioals in Surat. Photo by Aprameya C
“I know there are a lot of expectations from me for many including my parents. I want to remain focussed on my game. This is my first year in the men’s section after three years of playing in the Under-19 category, and being the national champion there for all those three years. I want to play as many matches in WTT (World Table Tennis). Also, in UTT (Ultimate Table Tennis), I played four matches and won four beating two players in the world’s top 20,” he stated.
On his best wins of the season and Olympic dream, Ankur said, “This season’s best win is defeating Korea’s Oh Junsung in WTT Youth Star Contender Singapore 2024. Also, I am the first Indian player to beat Oh Junsung. My dream is to win Olympic gold for India at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. It is my main target as of now. However, I want to add that since it is still three years away for the Olympics, my current focus is to do well in all the tournaments that I play, win as many medals as possible for India, and qualify for the Olympics.”
Zhang Jike’s fan, supporting KKR
Ankur said he is also a huge fan of China’s Zhang Jike, who is only one of the four players to complete a table tennis grand slam of the World Cup, World Championships, and Olympic success. He won gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
During his free time, Ankur likes to watch Zhang’s videos, Kohli’s interviews, and cricket matches including the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Being a fan of both Kohli and Hardik, ask Ankur which IPL team he supports, and you get a surprise answer – “I support Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since I am from Kolkata.”
Cost of table tennis racquet
Though Ankur’s parents opted for table tennis for its cost-effectiveness over cricket, it is no longer the case.
“When I started TT was not expensive. Now, my paddle is Rs 48,500, the forehand side rubber is DHs Hurricane 3 Blue Sponge national version which is Rs 7,000, and the backend has Butterfly Dignics 05 which costs Rs 6,800. The rubbers last only five days, and the paddle for six months. It is very expensive to manage without a sponsor,” Ankur revealed the costs behind his TT racquets.
Looking ahead to 2025, Ankur, who recently joined Dhanuka Dhunseri Soumyadeep Poulomi TT Academy (DDSP), wants to play more tournaments and is eyeing a gold in the Asian Championships, and also beating Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, who is world No. 3.
What India coach Massimo Constantini said about Ankur
When The Federal asked Indian table tennis team’s head coach Massimo Costantini about Ankur, the Italian heaped praise on the youngster.
“Ankur is definitely a very interesting player with huge potential. This observation is not only by me, the Indians, but also internationally recognised. He plays freely without pressure. He is an 18-year-old, and I feel it is the best age to perform that way; he gets very well rewarded. In recent times, he is a man in great shape. He is still a youth player and for the Indian team, we have good hopes on him to perform well in world championships at the end of this year. Ankur can be a good reinforcement in the Indian team as legend Achanta Sharath Kamal is going to reduce his international appearances,” Costantini said as he watched the matches at senior nationals in Surat.
“Ankur can learn a lot from Manav (Thakkar), Manush (Shah), Harmeet (Desai), and G Sathiyan. He has very good quality in both forehand and backhand play. As you can see from his game, he is determined in his game. His attitude and preparations are also very good. He always wants to win every point. He has this great attitude of never wanting to give up. With this attitude, we have high hopes on him. Let’s see what this senior national championships hold for him. So far, he has had a golden season. I believe he is in the world’s top 15 in Under-19s, and at the senior level, he needs more experience. At the moment, Ankur has all the right cards in the right place,” he added.
No support from Bengal government
Despite Ankur’s achievements at the junior level, his father rued the lack of recognition from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal. “Ankur has won several titles at the Under-19 but there has been no support from the Bengal government. When my son talks to players from other states, they share about the support they receive from their respective governments, but Ankur is yet to get any reward from the TMC government.”
Wherever Ankur plays in India, and in some tournaments abroad, his father Angsuman, and his mother Kuntali Bhattacharya travel with him. They are a source of massive support for him, and not added pressure.
“Our presence at the venue boosts Ankur’s confidence when he plays. It is never a pressure for him as could be the case for some,” Angsuman, who was seen coaching Ankur as he played a mixed doubles match with Mouma Das in Surat.
Ankur playing with Mouma Das (left) during a mixed doubles match at the senior TT nationals in Surat.
‘Mouma Das is like God to Ankur’
Angsuman says veteran Mouma, who is also with PSPB, is like “God” to Ankur. “Mouma Das is like God to Ankur. She has been a pillar of support for him. So is legend Sharath Kamal, and all his teammates at PSPB. Ankur is fortunate to play at PSPB with four Olympians – Sharath, G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar.”
The youngster’s father has full faith in his son’s ability and backs him to win “a lot of medals” for India. “I want him to play more tournaments abroad, to improve ranking. I know he can win a lot of medals for India, he has the ability… His plus point is he has fire in his belly, He has a burning desire to achieve something for the country. We are leaving no stone unturned to prepare him, and make him qualify for Los Angeles Olympics.”
As Ankur aims to play more senior tournaments in 2025, he could face a lot of challenges. But he seems ready to tackle them, and more importantly work hard day in and day out to realise his biggest dream – of playing in the Olympics, and winning a medal there.
