Bangladesh’s next generation of table tennis paddlers has stepped into a demanding training camp on Thursday at BKSP in Savar as preparations gather pace for the South Asian Regional Youth Table Tennis Championship in Shimla, India, scheduled for April 8–11.
Sixteen players across the U-15 and U-19 boys’ and girls’ categories earned selection for the preliminary squad, although fifteen paddlers have already reported to camp.
The U-19 boys’ squad features Md Nafiz Iqbal, Abul Hasem Hasib, Tahmidur Rahman Sakib and Md Joy Islam.
The U-19 girls’ line-up carries particular weight thanks to the presence of national star Khoi Khoi Sai Marma, currently one of Bangladesh’s leading paddlers and a recent domestic champion. She joins Reshmi Tanchangya, Oishi Rahman and Nusrat Jahan Ananna in the senior junior bracket.
Marma’s inclusion instantly raises expectations. The Rangamati-born paddler dominated the latest national championships with multiple titles and continues to establish herself as one of the most promising talents in Bangladesh table tennis.
The U-15 boys’ squad includes Md Shahin Ahmed, Md Mridul Rahman, Tamzidul Islam Porosh and Md Rabbi Islam.
The U-15 girls’ group consists of Jannat Islam Roja, Rafia Chowdhury, Jannatul Roja and Sabiha Akter Papia. BKSP table tennis department head coach Khandakar Al Mostafa Billah leads the coaching team during the camp. BKSP coach Dhananjay Shil Tirtha and ITTF Level-2 certified coach Regan Barua will assist him on the training floor.
The federation has also placed an experienced figure in charge of the delegation. Former national champion Tahmina Tarmim Binu will serve as team manager during the preparation phase and the tournament itself.
Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation general secretary Captain M A Maksud Ahmed Sonnet explained the urgency behind the early preparation.
He revealed that the federation launched the 33-day residential camp even before receiving the official tournament prospectus from the Asian Table Tennis Union. The move allows coaches to evaluate the squad through continuous training and internal matches.
Performance inside the camp will ultimately decide the final travelling squad. Sonnet confirmed that selectors will trim the preliminary list to a 12-player final team before the championship begins. The federation may also add four standby players if sponsorship funding arrives in time.
Inside the camp, the coaching staff plans an unforgiving schedule. Manager Binu confirmed that the squad will train three times a day morning, afternoon and night in a condensed preparation cycle designed to sharpen both technique and match temperament.
The schedule has already forced one sacrifice. The players will skip their usual Eid break in order to maintain continuity in training. Binu framed the decision as a collective commitment to national duty rather than a burden placed on the athletes.
That level of preparation reflects Bangladesh’s growing ambition in table tennis. Recent results have already hinted at progress. Khoi Khoi Sai Marma helped Bangladesh secure a historic silver medal in mixed doubles at the Islamic Solidarity Games, signalling that the country’s paddlers can compete beyond the regional circuit.
The upcoming event in Shimla now offers another benchmark.South Asian youth tournaments often expose the depth of each nation’s development pipeline. India traditionally dominate the competition, while Sri Lanka and Nepal continue to produce technically sharp junior players.
Bangladesh therefore enters the tournament with a clear tactical challenge: improve rally endurance and accelerate attacking transitions during mid-table exchanges.
