Swastika Ghosh’s long road back to the table
Table tennis player Swastika Ghosh achieved a significant career win against a top-ranked opponent following a difficult recovery from surgery. The victory serves as a milestone in her comeback journey after health issues sidelined her for several months.
Why it matters
It highlights the resilience of athletes overcoming medical setbacks and the psychological challenges of returning to elite-level competition.
The first thing Swastika Ghosh wanted to do after the biggest win of her career was not celebrate it. She wanted to build on it.
On Thursday (September 3, 2026), the 23-year-old Navi Mumbai paddler stunned second seed Miyuu Kihara of Japan 3-1 in the first round of the WTT Star Contender in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Kihara, the World No. 25, had been expected to have the advantage over Ghosh, ranked 149th.
Instead, it was Ghosh who walked away with the result. “This is one of the most significant moments of my journey so far. I hope I can build on it and keep improving my game, performance and ranking,” she told The Hindu.
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