A family: The beating heart of Bangladesh table tennis

Walking into the training hall at Dhaka’s Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Indoor Stadium during a national session, one hears a rhythmic, high-tempo syncopation: the sharp clack-clack of celluloid balls striking blue wooden tables.

A close look at the line of tables reveals a rare statistical anomaly: four top spots on the Bangladesh women’s table tennis roster belong to a single family tree.

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Two sisters and two cousins -- five-time champion Sonam Sultana Soma, former junior champion Nowrin Sultana Mahi, former national champion Sadia Rahman Mou, and former junior runner-up Samanta Hossain Tushi -- form the core of an unprecedented national sports dynasty. All except Mou are set to represent Bangladesh at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.

Having played in the 2019 SAFF Games in Nepal, 2021 Asian Championships in Qatar, and 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkey, sisters Soma and Mahi eagerly await receiving their cousin Tushi into the senior squad. Tushi previously earned her stripes on the international youth circuit during the South Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships.

This family is the beating heart of the national team. Five-time champion Saleha Parvin, Mou, former junior champion Sumiya Hossain Oishi, who is the elder sister of Tushi, and doubles champion Akhi Akhter Synthi have all been central to the senior and junior sides since Soma and Saleha first joined the national team fold at the 2010 SA Games in Dhaka.

Their journey began in a modest compound in Narail municipality, where sport was a central pillar of daily life. Inspired by former paddler and younger uncle Ismail Hossain, Saleha and Soma fell deeply in love with table tennis at Narail Table Tennis Club.

Younger sisters and cousins soon followed, stepping from district competitions in Narail onto the national stage to define the country's circuit.

In Dhaka, they train at an in-house family academy run by national coach Mohammad Ali, who happens to be Soma’s husband. Living together gives them constant access to elite sparring partners to refine side-spin serves and backhand counter-loops. Daily tactical discussions allow them to channel sibling rivalry into their ultimate accelerator.

“I am just providing them with proper guidance on how to improve their game, remain calm, and react effectively during matches,” coach Mohammad Ali told The Daily Star.

“Even though they are cousins, they play with complete dedication in competition -- one will even burst into tears after losing to another.”

Soma shared, “It is a wonderful feeling to see sister after sister join the national squad. It has been made possible by our shared passion and love for table tennis, as we played purely for the joy of the game.

“We also cherish every moment together after matches, as everyone is otherwise busy with their respective routines.”

Mahi, who is 14 years younger than Soma, said, “It is impossible to express in words what it feels like when we, as sisters, represent Bangladesh internationally. Carrying the national flag was beyond anything we imagined when we first picked up the rackets.”

Tushi, meanwhile, is ecstatic to play as the youngest family member on the senior squad. While navigating local facility limitations, their path is sustained by vital off-table backing. Year-round support from Bangladesh Ansar and VDP -- providing monthly salaries, allowances, and international airfare -- remains the foundation enabling this sisterhood to make sports history.

As the sharp echoes of celluloid against wood fade into the daily grind of preparation, Narail’s smashing sisters remain focused on the horizon. Beyond the titles and medals lies an enduring legacy: a family bound by blood, fueled by fierce devotion, ready to carry Bangladesh’s colours proudly once more.