When a TT student beats his coach
It's the greatest pleasure for a coach, when his disciple outperforms him. Five-time national table tennis champion Manas Chowdhury experienced that last week when his student Mufradul Khayer Hamza beat him in the men’s singles final of the Federation Cup Ranking Table Tennis tournament in Dhaka. It was a surprise for Mufradul too.
Mufradul is a computer science and engineering student at the capital's Daffodil University. His passion has earned him tuition-free studentship and a monthly income from Bangladesh Ansar.
He chose table tennis at a time when everyone around him opted for cricket or football. The inspiration came from his elder brothers who regularly paddled at a local club near their home in Chattogram. His mother was not happy with his brothers and would often send him to call them home.
Mufrad remembers club president Jamal Uddin with respect who stirred the enthusiasm in him for table tennis. He attributes the highest credit for his entry into the national team to Manas Chowdhury, who trained him for six years.
After losing to his trainee, Manas says, "He is a very promising player. He is sure to go a long way if he continues this regularity."
The Fed Cup championship has pushed Mufradul's ranking from 11th to third which secures his place in the national team.
As a high school student, Mufradul became champion at both U-13s and U-17s school tournaments. On behalf of Daffodil University, he won a gold medal in the Bangabandhu Inter-University Sports Champs 2019. He made it to the semifinals of national junior championship and Federation Cup ranking tournament. He went to play in India and Pakistan, too.
Eight years ago, when he came to Dhaka from Chattogram, the huge air-conditioned wooden floor gymnasium with its high ceiling and ample light surprised Mufradul. Within a few days, the esteemed players became his teammate.
Mufradul still regrets not qualifying for the South Asian Games TT team. "I was 11th in the ranking, but the last one was drawn from the 8th position. I had exam and could not play which pushed my position lower." He said, "When others would camp twice a day, I would sit and cry indoors."
Mufradul's father Abul Khayer owns a stationary shop. He is happy that he is not financially dependent on his father, "We live in a rented house. My elder brother used to do tuition and recently got a job, but I am being paid for sports. My university doesn't take any fees. This is a huge achievement for someone from a middle class family like me.’
Introvert Mufradul is reluctant to share his success story even with his own friends. He dreams to achieve something big for the country’s table tennis, "Winning gold in the SA Games, I want to pay back the love I received."