UTT Juniors: U Mumba’s Young Star, Prateek Tulsani, Gears Up To Conquer Age Categories

After a successful run to the final of the Dream UTT Juniors (U-15) and topping the table in the league stage with U Mumba, 13-year-old paddler Prateek Tulsani from Thane wants to improve his game more to dominate his age categories. U Mumba TT players Tulsani and Ananya Muralidharan, reached the final earlier this month but were defeated by the Kolkata Thunder Blades.

The grade VIII student wants to go a step further to achieve his ambitious goals. He has already shown glimpses of talent by winning gold (U-13) – World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender, Vadodara earlier this year. At the national level he has won multiple golds (U-13) – UTT National Ranking Championships 2024-25 in Indore, Bengaluru, Panchkula, Goa and Kangra and also won bronze (U15) UTT Nationals, Kangra (2024) and Silver (U-11) – UTT Nationals, Vadodara (2023) but he is hungry for more success in his teens.

“I want to work on my game more, and to put in the effort every day. I give my best in every match and tournament I play, and try to win. Most importantly, I need to work on my fitness and keep improving in every area of the game, especially my weaknesses to represent India at international level,” said Prateek who trains at Pro TT Academy in Thane under coach, Rajendra Sawant, and represents Maharashtra in national tournaments.

He started playing table tennis as a hobby in 2019, at the age of seven, and slowly he developed a deep interest and eventually a strong passion for this beautiful sport. Pateek’s first first coach, Yash Solanki who went out of his way to teach him the sport, became his inspiration. His breakthrough came after winning a district-ranking tournament in Thane, followed by a semifinal finish at the U-11 State Ranking Tournament in Dhule.

In October 2022, Prateek began training under national coach Sawant (Raju Sir), which significantly advanced his skills and competitive edge.

“Everything I am today as a player is because of my coach, Mr. Rajendra Sawant. He is very strict, and that discipline has helped me grow as a player. His teaching style and the way he guides me have made a huge difference in my improvement,” he said.

Prateek’s dedication and discipline, both on and off the table, reflect his ambition to become one of India’s best rising stars and he is following the right people in his pursuit for excellence.

“In table tennis, my idol is Sharath Kamal. Outside TT, I also look up to athletes like Lionel Messi and Conor McGregor. My future goal is to become one of the greats in table tennis also would like to become a role model for others to pursue this beautiful game, I would also love to represent India on the biggest stages like the Olympics and win for my country,” Prateek who is the only one in his family to take the sport. His family runs a pharmaceutical distribution business.

The Thanekar has benefited from the Dream Sports Foundation and the UTT initiative to promote grassroots level table tennis in India and give young paddlers professional experience at the highest level. He believes the level of interest for the game is increasing around his vicinity. “Over the years, I’ve seen a big increase in the passion for table tennis in Thane, Also Thane has many good TT clubs/academies and I’m really happy that the sport is getting recognised not only here but also all over the country,” he signed off.