Ludhiana girl to represent nation in Malaysia games

Aishwin Kaur, 18, from Ludhiana has been selected to represent India in the Deaf Asia Pacific Games, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from December 1 to 8 this year. Despite her hearing disability, Aishwin has overcome many challenges to excel in table tennis.
Her father Bikramjit Singh, a state head (audit) in a financial institution, shared that Aishwin’s journey in table tennis began on her 12th birthday when she was gifted a table tennis table. Her passion for the game grew and soon she started taking professional coaching. Initially, her disability made it difficult for her to be recognised in the sports world, he said. “People often doubted her ability to play due to her hearing disability. Some even refused to include her in the Ludhiana team, but Aishwin never gave up,” Singh said.
A breakthrough came when they connected with an academy in Gurugram that offered her comprehensive training. Since then, Aishwin has become one of the top table tennis players in Punjab. She practices for nearly eight hours a day and is also pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition to table tennis, Aishwin enjoys acting and dancing.
Her achievements include winning a silver medal in the team event, and two bronze medals in the individual and doubles events at the 4th World Deaf Table Tennis Championship held in Taiwan in July 2023. She also secured a silver medal in the general category at the 2023 Punjab State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament in Amritsar.
Aishwin’s father explained that she initially tried horse riding but had to switch to a less injury-prone sport after her cochlear implant surgery. “We were unsure if she could build a career in sports, but she kept pushing herself, and now she is representing India on the international stage,” he said, adding that the family has managed the expenses on their own without government support.
Aishwin’s ultimate goal is to represent India in the general category of table tennis.