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Mir Khasim Ali born in Hyderabad, A.P. was India's Men's Singles Champion in table tennis from 1968 to 1969. He was honoured with the prestigious Arjuna award.
Ali began playing table tennis in 1960 at the age of 11. At the 1963 Nationals at Delhi, he burst upon the national scene with a string of convincing victories. He was the National Junior Champion 1963, the National Senior Champion in 1968 and 1969, runner-up in the Commonwealth Championships of the Afro-Asian Championships in 1971 and a member of the Indian T.T. team from 1966 to 1973.
As a youth he is said to have had excellent control and touch, as well as power in his smashes despite his frail build as he was slim and almost wiry. Khasim was a player who had that something extra which drew the spectators, particularly women. Other Champions had their fan followings too, but these were localised. Khasim's was nation-wide.
His first trip abroad representing India was to East Africa in 1966. Also in 1966 in Sri Lanka where the South Zone Inter-University Championships were held. Khasim represented Osmania University, which lost in the finals to Bombay University, thanks to U.S. Gurjar who pulled off an upset win over Khasim.
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