New Delhi:Manika Batra has been omitted from India’s table tennis squad for the upcoming Asian Games as she failed to meet the selection criteria set by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). She is the country’s second-highest ranked women’s player in the latest world rankings but TTFI did not consider her for the Games.
The squad for the 20th Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4 was announced on Thursday. Manika was not in the national rankings as she did not play the domestic tournaments which is a must for the federation’s selection process. Instead, she has been named in the reserve players list along with Swastika Ghosh.
Manika is at 51st spot in the International Table Tennis Federation rankings. Among Indian women, only Sreeja Akula (45th) is ranked higher. Meanwhile, Manika has a number of laurels to her name, including multiple Commonwealth Games medals and a mixed doubles bronze at the 2018 Asian Games. She became the first Indian woman TT player to reach the Round of 16 of the 2024 Olympics but did not find a place in the Asian Games.
What’s the selection process?The squad was picked by the federation through a system which takes in national and international rankings and a small element of choice by the selectors.
"The selection process ensured that the top ranked and most consistent performers of India got the opportunity to represent the country at Asia’s biggest multi-sport event,” TTFI said.
As per the policy framed in 2023, national rankings have 50 per cent weightage and world rankings have 40 per cent weightage. The other 10 percent is left to the choice of the selection committee.
Sreeja will spearhead India’s women’s challenge at the continental event. Her teammates in the squad are Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Syndrela Das.
The men’s team has experienced internationals G. Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai along with Manav Vikas Thakkar and Manush Shah. Payas Jain has also been selected for good performances on the domestic as well as international stage. The reserve players for the men's team are Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ronit Bhanja.
The choice is indicative of India’s growing clout on both sides of the gender divide. The federation has used objective measures based on world and national rankings to reward consistency and long-term performance. The inclusion of reserve players for both men and women also ensures that the squad is prepared for any unforeseen circumstances before the Game,” TTFI added.
Also Read: