Jalandhar: After four decades, a 52-year-old player won a silver medal at the Thailand Open Masters.

Punjab: Vikas Mahajan, who started playing table tennis at the age of 13, is still impressing people with his attacking strokes at the age of 52. In the recently concluded 6th Thailand Open Masters Games, he represented India and helped the team secure a silver medal. Players from 17 countries participated in the event. Mahajan’s team included Vikram from Jalandhar and two other players from Ludhiana. Mahajan’s house in Green Park is adorned with trophies and medals won over the past four decades. He was crowned the South Asian champion in Veterans Table Tennis in Nepal, where he won all his matches in both the singles and team events. He also won a gold medal at the Forza International Veteran Cup Table Tennis Championship held in Goa.
As an employee of PSPCL, he has won numerous trophies in events organized by the All India Electricity Control Board. Recalling the beginning of his journey, Mahajan said, “I started playing table tennis after watching my elder brother. I used to accompany him to his practice sessions at Mahatma Hansraj Stadium, and eventually, I fell in love with the sport. I have been a member of the Jalandhar Table Tennis Association for decades, where I not only practice but also mentor many budding players.” In recent years, Mahajan has become popular for conducting yoga events. “I regularly conduct workshops, besides taking morning and evening yoga sessions at the Arya Samaj temple. I attribute my fitness and agility in the sport to yoga. It gives me all the energy, power, concentration, and stamina to play my game,” he said, while running yoga classes under the banner of Vivacious Yoga.