Bengal paddler Mouma Das is taking inspiration from former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly after making a comeback in the recently-concluded National Table Tennis Championship. She finished runner-up in the women’s singles in Shillong.

Mouma, 38, had taken a break after becoming a mother in 2019 before deciding to take part in the nationals this year. Sourav too had made a successful return to the national team after being dropped by the selectors in 2006.

“I did not think about the results. I just wanted to see where I stand fitness-wise after becoming a mother. The love for the game made me start afresh but my comeback was halted further due to the pandemic when I was also affected by the virus. I was feeling shaky when I first got down for practice at the venue. But slowly things started falling in place,” the five-time national singles champion said during a press conference on Tuesday.

“The example of Sourav Ganguly’s comeback story stood firmly in front of me as an inspiration.

“I am lucky to get support from my family. Even my office wants me to play on. I am really overwhelmed and have thus not thought about throwing in the towel yet,” Mouma said.

Mouma feels sad about Bengal’s dwindling fortunes in the national circuit.

“When we started playing, Mantu Ghosh and Anindita Chakraborty used to dominate Indian table tennis. After that, Poulami (Ghatak) and I managed to carry forward that tradition. But sadly things have changed,” she lamented.