By Neha Aggarwal
As part of the final leg of preparations before the upcoming Liebherr 2017 World Championships in Düsseldorf from 29th May-5th June 2017, a lot of players are seen in action in the ITTF Challenge Series around the world.
India’s Soumyajit Ghosh is also on the move. He became the third Indian to win a World Tour title as he won the 2017 Seamaster Chile Open last week. He faced teammate and doubles partner Amalraj Anthony in the finals of the men’s singles, and together they won the men’s doubles title as well.
Currently in Sao Paulo for the the 2017 ITTF Challenge Seamaster Brazil Open, he has a tougher challenge to meet.
While most of the Europeans are on duty in Zagreb competing at the 2017 ITTF Challenge, Zagreb Open, the number of participants in Brazil is comparatively slim. However, those present in Brazil, are some of the big names on the tour.
Seeded fourth in men’s singles, Soumyajit opens his challenge with the round of 16 match against host nation’s Eric Jouti who currently stands at no.192, more than 100 places behind the Indian who is now ranked no.83.
If matches go according to the expectations, he might meet Brazil’s Gustavo Tsuboi, ranked 104 on the global charts, in the quarter-finals and the top seed, world no.25 Hugo Calderano in the semi-finals.
The Brazilian team will surely have an added advantage playing on home soil but the Indian is more than determined to keep up his good form ahead of Düsseldorf . Winning the Chile Open has certainly instilled more faith and belief but here in Brazil, Soumyajit Ghosh must face tougher challenges to prove his supremacy.
In the men’s doubles, he will partner Amalraj Anthony. The pair looks in great share coming fresh off winning the Chile Open. But again, in Brazil, they will have to face the likes of European pair of Patrick Baum (GER) and Thomas Keinath (SVK), Brazilian pair of Hugo Calderano and Gustav Tsuboi before they grab any silverware.
Soumyajit Ghosh has had an incredible run at the international arena for India. Apart from Sharath Kamal Achanta, Ghosh has been consistently ranked in the top 100 players in the world. However, he still has to do more work to break into the top 50, which he has been aiming since a long time now. A two Olympian (London 2016 and Rio 2016) Ghosh has received the prestigious Arjuna Award from the President of India for his achievements in the sport in 2016.
The Indian National Champion now eyes Brazil Open, a big challenge, yet an opportunity for him to grab another World Tour title.
