Sutirtha and Ayhika, the Mukherjees from Naihati, who secured a table tennis medal for India in Hangzhou

Ayhika and Sutirtha, childhood friends from Naihati, India, won a bronze medal in the Asian Games table tennis event. The dynamic duo beat China’s Meng Chen and Yidi Wang in the quarterfinal, using their unique combination of soft and long-pimpled rubbers. With the help of their coach, Mamata Prabhu, they swapped roles to befuddle their opponents and secure a historic win.

They share the same surname. They hail from the same town, not too far from Kolkata. It was their respective mother’s influence that drew them to the 9’x5’ table.

It’s no surprise that Ayhika and Sutirtha - the Mukherjees from Naihati - are best friends. And after being groomed at the same academy in their hometown, they have been reunited at the Dhanuka Dhunseri Soumyadeep Poulomi TT Academy.

India’s dynamic duo beat China’s Meng Chen and Yidi Wang in the quarterfinal to secure a table tennis bronze for India at the Asian Games on Saturday. The pair won the four-game contest 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9 to advance to the semifinals.

Their achievement could well go down as one of the biggest upsets not only in table tennis but in the 19th edition of the Games in its entirety, given that the Chinese pair is ranked second in the world and is the reigning world champion too.

“Both Poulomi and I have played multiple Asian Games but in our coaching career, this is the best moment so far. Being competitive at the Asian Games table tennis event is as difficult as – if not more than – the Olympics,” says Roy.

“You can be proud if one of your students wins a medal at this stage. When both the students combine together as a team, it is inexplicable.”

That Ayhika and Sutirtha have been childhood friends works to their advantage, no doubt. But the manner in which they have coordinated on the table is remarkable, considering it’s been only a year since they started teaming up together.