Table tennis star Manika Batra dropped from the Asian Games squad

India’s top table tennis star Manika Batra was dropped from the national team for this year’s Asian Games on Thursday after failing to meet the selection criteria set by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). Manika’s disqualification is due to her non-participation in domestic events due to which she is not featured in the TTFI rankings. However, Manika is part of the reserves alongside Svastika Ghosh.

The 20th Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4.

Manika, who won multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games and a historic mixed doubles bronze at the 2018 Asian Games, is currently India’s second-highest ranked player at the age of 51, behind Sreeja Akula, who is 45th in the latest ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) rankings.

TTFI selects players based on international and national rankings.

“The selection process ensured that India’s best and most consistent performers got the opportunity to represent the country at Asia’s biggest multi-sport event,” TTFI said.

The Asian Table Tennis Games will be held from September 20 to 28.

According to the selection policy proposed in 2023, 50 per cent weightage is given to national ranking, 40 per cent to world ranking and 10 per cent is left to the discretion of the selection committee.

SREEJA LEADS A BALANCED PARTNER

In Manika’s absence, Sreeja leads a balanced team that combines experience and emerging talent.

Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Syndrela Das form a competitive unit capable of challenging the continent’s strongest teams.

The men’s team will be led by veteran batsmen G. Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai along with national stalwarts Manav Vikas Thakkar and Manush Shah.

Youngster Payas Jain also won his place in the five-man squad after a series of impressive performances on the domestic circuit and the international stage.

As reserves, Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ronit Bhanja remain on standby.

“The selection highlights India’s growing strength across both genders. By adhering to objective criteria based on world and national rankings, the federation rewards consistency and performance over a long period of time.”

“The inclusion of back-up players for both men and women also ensures that the team remains prepared for any contingencies ahead of the match,” TTFI added.

The Asian table tennis games are expected to feature the continent’s elite, including powerhouses China, Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

18 Jun 2026 17:06 IST