All posts tagged: manika batra

Sreeja Akula lone Indian standing in Yokohama

Sreeja Akula lone Indian standing in Yokohama

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Sreeja Akula was left the lone Indian standing at the 2026 WTT Champions Yokohama in Japan as Manika Batra, Manav Thakkar, and Manush Shah all suffered first round exits. Akula registered her career’s first win in a Champions event, beating Sofia Polcanova of Australia 3-2 in the first round. The Indian paddler lost her opening game 9-11 but fought back to win the next three 11-8, 11-6, 12-10 to register a come-from-behind victory in just over 32 minutes. Later, wildcard entrant Batra lost out 1-11, 7-11, 7-11 with barely any fight against the second seeded Kuai Man of China. In men’s singles, Shah and Thakkar also faced similar fate. While Thakkar went down 2-3 after a hard fought battle against Slovakia’s Darko Jorgic, Shah was blanked 3-0 by France’s sixth seeded Alexis Lebrun, leaving Akula the lone Indian standing in the prestigious tournament. Akula will next face the seventh seeded Shin Yubin of South Korea in the women’s singles round of 16 on Friday. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, …

With youngsters at her heels, Manika Batra aims to level up her game

With youngsters at her heels, Manika Batra aims to level up her game

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4 min readPanajiJul 23, 2026 11:09 PM IST Just like she twiddles her racket to switch from spin to anti-spin mid-rally, Manika Batra has turned off the offensive switch in the Asian Games saga. The public, prolonged episode began with her non-selection in the core India squad and left her closure-less, seeking answers. A “mentally exhausted” Manika, who is the country’s top-ranked women’s singles paddler (world number 51) as per the latest ITTF rankings, has moved on nevertheless. Iffy recent form and age have not diminished her dream of an ever-elusive Olympic medal. For that, however, she needs to qualify first. “Of course, I have to improve my ranking. And I am working towards that thing every day in my training, in my tournaments,” Manika tells The Indian Express, three days after neutralizing three straight losses with three straight wins in the ongoing Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) edition. “Till next year I have this goal. And I will give my best to improve my ranking till the end of this year, so that I can …

Manav Thakkar-Manush Shah climb to World No 3; highest ranked Indians ever

Manav Thakkar-Manush Shah climb to World No 3; highest ranked Indians ever

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The Indian table tennis men’s doubles pair of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah climbed to a career high world No 3 rank in the latest ITTF rankings on Monday. Thakkar and Shah gained one spot in the latest rankings to become the highest ranked Indian paddlers ever in the history of the sport. With a total of 3560 points, Thakkar and Shah now only trail China’s Lin Shidong-Huang Youzheng (5510) and France’s Alexis Lebrun-Felix Lebrun (4058) in the rankings. History made in Indian table tennis 🏓🇮🇳 Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar have climbed to a career-high World No. 3 with 3560 points in the latest ITTF Men’s Doubles World Rankings. That makes them the highest-ranked Indian pair ever in the sport’s history. Previously, Manika… pic.twitter.com/IMMbLJg7z3 — The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) July 7, 2026 The duo from Gujarat is now in an uncharted territory in Indian table tennis, surpassing the former women’s doubles duo of Manika Batra and Archana Kamath, who so far held the distinction of being the highest ranked Indians ever at world No 4. …

‘Exhausted’ Manika Batra accuses TTFI of breaching its own constitution in Asian Games selection rown

‘Exhausted’ Manika Batra accuses TTFI of breaching its own constitution in Asian Games selection rown

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3 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026 01:04 PM IST Table tennis star Manika Batra has said that the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) violated its own rules while selecting the Indian squad for the 2026 Asian Games but indicated that she won’t be pursuing the matter any more for now. Batra, who had won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games and is a triple gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games, was named only as a reserve for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and she had earlier asked for an explanation from the TTFI for her omission from the main squad. She said in a statement on Friday that she was told by the TTFI that a nine-member selection committee had selected the Indian squad for the Asiad. “TTFI, in its response to me, has stated that the entire selection process was conducted strictly in accordance with the rules. However, the documents available with me show that a 9-member Selection Committee decided the Asian Games team, while Article 24(C)(j) of the TTFI Constitution states that no …

Asian Games row: Manika Batra threatens legal action, seeks PM intervention | Sports News

Asian Games row: Manika Batra threatens legal action, seeks PM intervention | Sports News

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India’s leading table tennis player Manika Batra has intensified her challenge to her exclusion from the Asian Games squad, issuing a strongly-worded statement demanding answers from the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and warning that she could pursue legal action if a satisfactory explanation is not provided. Batra also said she has sought Prime Minister Narendra’s intervention. Batra, who was named only as a reserve for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, insisted that she was not seeking a place in the team or asking for the decision to be reversed. “Let me state this clearly. I am not asking to be selected. I am not asking anyone to overturn the decision. I am asking for answers,” Batra said. The former Asian Games medallist questioned the basis on which players were evaluated, pointing out that she is currently ranked World No. 51 and that international rankings operate on a rolling points system. She asked what period had been considered during the selection process and whether a marginal drop outside the world’s top 50 was enough to …

After Manika Batra, equestrian Anush Agarwalla questions exclusion from Asian Games squad

After Manika Batra, equestrian Anush Agarwalla questions exclusion from Asian Games squad

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A day after Manika Batra raised questions about her exclusion from the Indian table tennis team for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games, equestrian Anush Agarwalla followed the suit on Friday. Agarwalla, who had clinched an individual dressage bronze and a historic team dressage gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years back, was named among the reserves much like Batra as the Equestrian Federation of India announced the Indian contingent. “Today, I stand as India’s No. 1 ranked dressage rider, Asia’s No. 2 ranked rider, and World No. 14 in the FEI 1* Rankings. I have also achieved the highest PSG scores among all Indian athletes this year. That is why being named a reserve for the upcoming Asian Games comes as a surprise and raises important questions about the criteria being applied in athlete selection,” Agarwalla wrote in a social media post. The 26-year-old from Kolkata urged for transparency in the selection process. “While I respect the selection process and the athletes chosen to represent India, I believe every athlete deserves clarity on how …

Manika Batra questions her exclusion from Asian Games 2026 Table Tennis squad

Manika Batra questions her exclusion from Asian Games 2026 Table Tennis squad

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4 min readJun 19, 2026 07:40 AM IST Ace Indian paddler Manika Batra has raised concerns about the selection of the Table Tennis squad for the Asian Games on Thursday. Manika was excluded from the squad and was named in reserves alongwith Swastika Ghosh. She was excluded due to her absence from domestic events because of which she does not feature in the Table Tennis Federation of India rankings. “My exclusion from the Asian Games 2026 squad is deeply disheartening, not only because of the outcome, but because of the manner in which the selection criteria appear to have been interpreted and applied. No specific reason has been communicated to me,” Manika said in a statement. Earlier in the day, the TTFI said it selects players based on international and national rankings. “The selection process ensured that India’s highest-ranked and most consistent performers earned the opportunity to represent the country at Asia’s biggest multi-sport event,” said TTFI. As per the selection policy drafted in 2023, 50 percent weightage is given to national rankings, 40 percent …

“Exclusion from the Asian Games 2026 squad is disheartening”: Manika Batra

“Exclusion from the Asian Games 2026 squad is disheartening”: Manika Batra

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India’s leading table tennis player Manika Batra has questioned the process behind her exclusion from the main squad for the 2026 Asian Games, calling for greater transparency and consistency in the application of selection criteria. The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Thursday named Manika among the reserve players for the continental showpiece despite her being India’s second-highest ranked women’s singles player in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings. In a detailed statement issued after the squad announcement, Manika expressed disappointment over both the decision and the manner in which it was reached. “My exclusion from the Asian Games 2026 squad is deeply disheartening, not only because of the outcome, but because of the manner in which the selection criteria appear to have been interpreted and applied. No specific reason has been communicated to me,” she said. The former Commonwealth Games champion also appealed to the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association to review the matter. “I respectfully request the Hon’ble Sports Minister and the leadership of the Indian Olympic Association …

Manika Batra left out of India’s Asian Games Table Tennis main squad, Ayhika Mukherjee misses out

Manika Batra left out of India’s Asian Games Table Tennis main squad, Ayhika Mukherjee misses out

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India’s most decorated women’s table tennis player, Manika Batra, has been left out of the main squad for the 2026 Asian Games after failing to satisfy the selection criteria laid down by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). The 30-year-old, who won a historic mixed doubles bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games and has multiple Commonwealth Games medals to her name, was named among the reserve players for the continental event scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. According to TTFI, selections were made based on a policy introduced in 2023, which allocates 50 per cent weightage to national rankings, 40 per cent to world rankings and the remaining 10 per cent to the discretion of the selection committee. Despite being India’s second-highest ranked women’s player at World No. 51, behind Sreeja Akula at No. 45, Manika’s absence from domestic tournaments meant she did not feature prominently in the national rankings, affecting her overall selection score. Sreeja Akula to lead Women’s Squad Sreeja Akula headlines the women’s squad, which also …

Indian men’s & women’s teams exit in round of 32

Indian men’s & women’s teams exit in round of 32

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A disappointing end to India’s campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Table Tennis Team Championships as both teams lost in the round of 32 on Tuesday. The Indian men’s team suffered a 0-3 defeat at the hands of much lower-ranked Austria, and the women’s team bowed 1-3 to the Pan-American silver medalist USA. The Indian men’s team entered the tie as favourites based on individual rankings, but the former world no. 18 and experienced Robert Gardos gave Austria a positive start. The 47-year-old came from behind to beat Manush Shah in a tiring 5-game encounter, 6-11, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 13-11, in extra points to win the first match of the tie. India couldn’t recover from this and conceded the next two matches in straight games, as Manav Thakkar and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran couldn’t put up a fight. The Indian women’s team also had a disappointing start as the 18-year-old Sally Moyland got the better of Yashaswini Ghorpade in straight games. Then, the India no.1, Manika Batra, took the tie score to level terms with a 4-game …