Birmingham 2022: Indian table tennis team courts yet another controversy

Bengaluru, August 1: The Indian table tennis team is in the news for all wrong reasons again after men's team coach was spotted on the courtside during the women's knockout fixture against Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham.

India, who went into the tournament as defending champions in the women's team event, were stunned by the little known Malaysian side in the quarterfinals.

The designated women's coach of the Indian team, Anindita Chakraborty, was conspicuous by her absence in the knock out fixture. Instead, men's coach S Raman sat on the courtside.

CWG 2022: Table Tennis: Indian paddlers disappoint as the defending champions crash out of women’s team event

"This should not have happened, women's coach should have been guiding the players in the match. I will take this up with the team," S D Mudgil, member of the Committee of Administrators running the suspended Table Tennis Federation of India was quoted as saying by PTI news agency.

Mudgil, who was supposed to be the team manager of the Indian team at Birmingham 2022, has stayed back in India to accommodate the players' request for sports psychologist Gayatri Vartak, who joined the squad on August 1.

Raman, who happens to be the personal coach of male player G Sathiyan, was seen coaching Reeth Rishya as the quarterfinal went down to the wire. After the shocking loss, the Manika Batra-led squad did not even do the the media interaction, which is a standard protocol in all multi-sporting events.

"It was very close. Combinations were totally different for us. A defensive player, a left hander and right hander mix up was little challenging for us. The girls fought hard and it was an off day," said Raman after the unexpected result.

It is worth mentioning that ahead of the Games, three India players had approached court against their non selection in the CWG squad.

One of them, Diya Chitale, got successful and was included in the team. Team sources confirmed that all is not well in the camp.

"The atmosphere in the team is the not best, let's just say that. Women's coach should have been sitting courtside since she knows more about the players. Don't know why Raman decided to sit instead," an informed source said.

It may be recalled that At the Tokyo Olympics last year, star player Batra had refused to take the help of then team coach Soumyadeep Roy after her personal coach was not given access to field of play.

This time, the world number 41 is here with her personal coach. With doubles and singles yet to start, Manika will be aiming to bounce back.

She had won a record four medals in the previous edition, including two golds, a performance that helped her win the Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour.

CWG 2022: Tough for Manika Batra to repeat last Commonwealth Games medal haul: Somdev Devvarman

However, former Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman was sceptical of Batra's chances at Birmingham 2022.

"Manika Batra had four medals in the last Games. But it's not going to be easy to match last time's haul. It'll be a massive effort. It's one thing to come out here and win medals like she did the last time. But it's another thing to back it up in the next Games. There's a lot that's changed over the last four years," he said.