The Thunderblades story: How a former player is trying to revive Kolkata's table tennis scene

India Today

2 days ago

The Thunderblades story: How a former player is trying to revive Kolkata's table tennis sceneThe sound of two loud dhols echoed through EKA Arena in Ahmedabad every time the Kolkata Thunderblades won a point at the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league. Rajat Kumar and Ketan Jain, the owner duo of the franchise, led the celebrations with reverberating cheers from the stands. The small indoor stadium, with the capacity of 800 people, responded with equal energy, thumping, chanting, rallying behind the newcomers.advertisementFrom the turnout, you'd never guess that this was the franchise's debut season.
Ankur Bhattacharjee, the local boy, the young sensation of the team, revelled in the chants, playing an exceptional first season. Thunderblades, while they finished just outside of the top 4, took a lot of positives from their maiden run. The team, through the Ultimate Table Tennis competition, at least gave something back to Kolkata, a city that loved the sport dearly through the 2000s and 2010s.But this story isn't about Ankur. This is about someone who could've been Ankur, had life panned out differently.Rajat Kumar, the part owner of Kolkata Thunderblades, was a former national-level table tennis player. Rajat, who now owns his own company, MVikas Group, told India Today in an exclusive interview about how he loved the sport, was forced to walk away from it, and then returned after a long hiatus of 15 years.advertisement'I've played table tennis along with Ketan since 1995. Both of us have represented Delhi at the national level,' Rajat told India Today in an exclusive conversation. 'We always had that connection with the sport. That's what motivated us to get back in, first as sponsors for U Mumba, and now as team owners.'Their entry was part chance, part destiny. When Puneri Paltan backed out of UTT this year, Rajat and Ketan pounced on the opportunity. They bought the new franchise. And the Thunderblades were born.BUYING OF KOLKATA THUNDERBLADESAt the time that Rajat played table tennis, there was no way to sustain one's livelihood just through the sport, bar the elite players, of course. So, once he saw that the road was coming to an end, Rajat got into the academic side and completed his CA degree."There were not many opportunities at that time. You could open an academy, you could trade in equipment, but nothing more than that. Today, you have foreign and national leagues. Both my parents were from government service, so for me, simply playing TT was not an option," Rajat said.Once Rajat's practice flourished, he got into other things. He called back his brother who was working at Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and started their own firm, dealing in industrial products and government projects.advertisementBut despite the success that his CA career and entrepreneurship brought, table tennis stayed at the back of his mind.Once the opportunity arrived, Rajat got together with Ketan and bought the new franchise in UTT. In business terms, it made little sense. As per his own admission, they are not going to make any money out of this team in the next 10 years."Me and Ketan, we balance out each other. I bring the calm, he brings the dhols. I sit and bite my nails, he cheers the team, shouts loudly. This aspect has worked in building this team as well," Rajat said.However, there's no illusion here. Rajat knows this isn't a money-making venture, at least not yet.'I don't think I'll see a return for 7–10 years,' he said bluntly. 'But if we get an Olympic medal? That changes everything. Look at what happens in India when you win a medal. The government wakes up, sponsors come in, everyone wants to be associated.'He's got an eye on India's rising core: Diya Chitale, Manav Thakkar, and Manush Shah, who are ready to support the already established stars, Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.advertisementIf this group peaks at the right time, Rajat believes they can push India onto the Olympic podium.'And if that happens,' he said, 'we're good to go.'Still, he's aware of the risk.'Yes, we are losing money,' he admitted. 'But we'll accept that loss if it means the sport is growing. It's worth it.'UTT'S UNIQUE MODELRajat reveals that he was also drawn towards UTT because of the unique model that it follows. UTT, which is a franchise tournament like the IPL, doesn't follow the IPL model to the letter. Though teams, auctions, and city branding exist, the model is centralised. Players are contracted by the league and not by individual franchises. The auctions are more symbolic, done with tokens, not money, to maintain excitement while the league handles logistics and salaries.'The best part?' Rajat said. 'We don't have to worry about the operational side. That allows us to focus on building a team culture, a brand, and fan engagement.'This model, according to Rajat, is what's kept UTT alive through six seasons, when leagues in badminton, tennis, and even kabaddi have faltered or faded.advertisementGIVING BACK TO KOLKATAFor Rajat, owning a table tennis team was never going to be just about the matches.It had to be about giving back. Especially to the city of Kolkata.Kolkata was a table tennis stronghold in the 2000s. The sport thrived in schools, clubs, and para-athletic meets. But slowly, it faded from visibility.That's what the Thunderblades are trying to change.Rajat and his team want to start outreach programs. They want to organise small tournaments across West Bengal. The idea is to identify talent, help them get drafted into UTT, and eventually support their journey into the professional circuit.'If we can sponsor a few kids at 13 or 14, give them what we didn't have, that's a win,' Rajat said.THE FACE OF THE CITYFor now, Ankur Bhattacharjee is their flag-bearer.Ranked in the top 100 in the world, Ankur is expected to break into the top 50 by the end of the year. He plays with flair, backed by a city desperate for a sporting identity beyond football and cricket.'This year, we've got Ankur in our team. He's only 19 and already the third-best player in India,' Rajat said. 'In 4–5 years, you'll hear his name everywhere.'advertisementBUILDING THE EXPERIENCEThe owners of the team also want to better the viewing experience for fans in whatever tournaments they are organising. At the UTT, they arranged for food packets and juices for all the fans who came to watch Kolkata's matches. This is an initiative that they have taken out of their own pockets, and they plan to keep doing that to attract crowds to the stadiums.'If fans are coming to support your team, you take care of them. Give them a memory,' Rajat said. 'You watch these games at dinner time, people come from far. You want them to feel like they were part of something.'He knows this is rare. Even in cricket and football, fans often get ignored.'I think we'll connect with local academies too. But this kind of outreach, it needs to be done centrally. One owner can't do everything.'BEYOND UTTThe Thunderblades don't want to disappear once the UTT season ends.Rajat says the goal is to build a year-round presence, connect with state associations, sponsor tournaments, partner with local coaches. And most importantly, identify kids who can't afford to play but have the talent.'The kids we find can interact with our team, sit with them, learn from them. That kind of exposure changes your mindset,' Rajat said. 'I want Kolkata to grow. I want TT to be great in this city again.'And if one of those kids becomes the next Ankur Bhattacharjee?Then maybe, just maybe, the long bet will pay off.- Ends