Bharati Ghosh, a legendary table tennis teacher and coach, who played a vital role in creation of Siliguri as the ‘City of Table Tennis,’ passed away today at the age of 86.
She had been battling age related health issues for several days, with her condition deteriorating recently, leaving her largely bedridden.
Bharati Ghosh’s contributions to the sport were immense. Under her watch, many students excelled at state and national levels, with some even earning prestigious accolades like the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri. Despite her significant role, she remained under recognised by official authorities for years.
Her legacy, however, did not go unnoticed by the people of Siliguri. A few days ago, mayor Goutam Deb visited her residence to check on her health and assured her family of his support. In 2016, the Siliguri Journalists’ Club (SJC) honoured her with the Kanchenjunga Award and a cash prize for her outstanding contributions to table tennis and her role in discovering and nurturing talented players from the region. The award was presented by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who later took the initiative to recognise Bharati Ghosh as a ‘Shiksha Guru. In 2019, the state government conferred her with the Banga Ratna Award.
Bharati Ghosh’s journey in table tennis began under the mentorship of Bhabani Mukherjee, a Dronacharya Awardee. She went on to serve as a national-level coach for the Indian team, assisting Mukherjee. Beyond her professional achievements, she also dedicated herself to training physically challenged boys and girls, achieving remarkable success in this endeavour.