Syndrela Das marks 17th birthday with two titles in Kanpur

Syndrela Das celebrated her 17th birthday on Sunday, August 23, 2026, by securing a double crown at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Kanpur. The West Bengal paddler claimed the under-19 and women's singles titles, playing seven matches throughout the day without defeat, as reported by both The Times of India and The Hindu.

Das first overcame Ananya Muralidharan of Tamil Nadu 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 in the youth girls' final. She then returned to beat Divyanshi Bhowmick of Maharashtra 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9 in a closely fought women's final, according to both sources.

The victories carry particular significance for Das, who will become the youngest Indian athlete at the upcoming Asian Games, as reported by The Times of India and The Hindu. She finished runner-up at the Senior Nationals in Indore in March, according to both outlets.

In the women's semifinals, Das edged PSPB's Swastika Ghosh 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, a match she described as the most challenging of her day. "Swastika di was the most challenging," she told The Hindu. "She was in an unbelievable touch today, hitting backhand and forehand winners consistently. I was down 7-4 in the decider but I planned smartly thereafter." Das also noted she had been disappointed to learn the tournament fell on her birthday but found added motivation as she kept winning. "Now that I have won both the finals, it feels really nice," she said.

Das explained that while she typically dislikes travelling on her birthday, the day proved especially memorable. "Trust me, it will be one of the most memorable birthdays for me since I won my first national women's title," she stated. After the final, Das hugged her opponent and embraced her coach Soumyadeep Roy and mother Sushmita, and later broke down during a video call with family.

Payas Jain triumphs in men's final

Payas Jain claimed the men's title at the tournament, as reported by The Hindu. He defeated PSP's Manav Thakkar 11-3, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-8, recovering from the disappointment of losing the Commonwealth Championship final three weeks earlier. Both Jain and Thakkar are members of India's Asian Games squad, the report noted.

In the men's semifinals, Jain overcame Jeet Chandra of RSPB 11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 1-11, 11-7, while Manav beat Ankur Bhattacharjee of Har 12-10, 13-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8, as per The Hindu.

The men's final produced more engrossing rallies, with Jain's assured service receiving proving decisive in breaching Manav's defensive fort, the same report said.

Youth and other finals

In the youth boys' final, Priyanuj Bhattacharyya of RSPB beat Abhinandh of TN 9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 21-23, 11-4, 11-7 in a 65-minute thriller, as reported by The Hindu. In the youth boys' semifinals, Priyanuj defeated Tanush Biswas of West Bengal 11-7, 11-5, 11-3, and Abhinandh overcame Sugam Mukherjee of the same state 12-10, 12-10, 11-9.

The women's singles final saw Das and Divyanshi Bhowmick in a back-and-forth contest. Bhowmick had earlier dispatched fans' favourite Diya Chitale and top seed Yashaswini Ghorpade, according to The Hindu, and had beaten Yashaswini 11-4, 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-2 in her semifinal. In the final, Bhowmick won the opening game, Das took two straight, Bhowmick levelled at 2-2, before Das regained the lead and secured the title in the sixth game.

Das said she was "extremely hungry" after the long day and planned to treat herself to a meal with friends. Her title was her first senior women's singles crown at a National Ranking tournament, according to The Hindu. Her consecutive victories have solidified her spot as the youngest member of the Indian squad for the upcoming Asian Games.

"The victories could not have come at a better time," noted The Times of India in its report, which focused heavily on the birthday angle and Das's rapid rise as a rising Bengal star.