Taking up the job of umpiring and that too in the game of table tennis is a big test. For umpiring, you are required to sit very close to the table focusing your eyes on that 40 mm ball constantly, during the game. But, for young Anshu Yadav it is a big challenge. Those who participated in the recently concluded Masters’ Veterans National TT Championship at Indore must have noticed this smart and charming girl doing this thankless job tirelessly throughout the day for six days.
19 year old Anshu, student of Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education ( LNIPE) Gwalior( M.P.) got attracted to this game of table tennis, when she was studying in 4th standard. It so happened that little Anshu had gone to a club along with her father and brother. When she was standing in the passage, the sound of the TT ball hit by the bat on the table surface invited all her attention and she was tempted to peep inside the TT room out of curiosity. And this moment turned out to be the most memorable moment in her life. Since that day, she decided to play this game out of passion. In the same year she represented the state in cadet girls event at the Mizoram Nationals for Cadet and sub juniors.
At present, Anshu represents her University in the game of table tennis and has gained a lots of knowledge at this young age. Actually, the university where she studies, the students are given complete training about the game selected by them. But, how she landed in Indore for umpiring at this big TT event ? And Anshu had a quick reply, “ The organizers of Indore nationals knew about our university and the kind of training offered here. So, they invited our batch having knowledge about this game. And that’s how I landed here to make my debut in umpiring.”
Talking about her interest in umpiring, she said, “The sound of Table Tennis ball during play inspires me the most and therefore I would like to stay connected with this game. As an umpire you are at a closer angle to understand more about this game, besides doing your duty as an umpire.” Then praising the role of umpire, she added, “Without Umpires no match can be played, whether in TT or any other sport, so much is the importance of an Umpire.”
Finally, when asked about her future plans, Anshu said that in 2020 she will be appearing for the International Umpires exam. We wish her all the best