Hyderabad, Oct. 31 -- It had been a seemingly endless drought for 35 years. No paddler from undivided Andhra Pradesh had claimed a national title since the legendary Mir Khasim Ali in the men's singles, way back in 1969. One sprightly girl brought the cheer back to the state at the 2004 Chennai Nationals. In what was then known as the cadet category (under 12 years), Nikhat Banu emerged the champion.

Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) Associate Vice President and Andhra Pradesh Table Tennis Association (APTTA) Secretary, late S.M. Sultan, was only too happy to relay the good news to the media back home in his native Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad. For the wait had indeed been a long one !

The little one had overcome many o...