Manika Batra disgruntled after ignored for Asian Games Squad, Appeals Narendra Modi to take Action

Veteran Indian table tennis star Manika Batra has been excluded from the main squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and named only as a reserve. She has also not been picked for the Commonwealth Championships, which will take place in India.

The 31-year-old has issued a strongly worded statement questioning the transparency, consistency, and application of the Table Tennis Federation of India’s (TTFI) selection criteria.

The TTFI announced the squads on June 18. Manika, India’s second-highest-ranked women’s singles player (world No. 51), was placed among the reserves alongside Swastika Ghosh.

India Squads

Women’s main squad:

Sreeja Akula, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das.

Women’s reserves:

Swastika Ghosh, Manika Batra.

Men’s main squad:

G. Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, Payas Jain.

Men’s reserves:

Ankur Bhattacharjee, Ronit Bhanja.

Why Was Manika Excluded?

The exclusion stems from Manika’s absence from domestic events in the previous season, her last national circuit appearance was at the Senior National Championships in Panchkula in December 2023. Under the TTFI’s selection policy (framed in November 2023), national rankings, derived from performances in seven major domestic events, carry 50% weight. World rankings account for 40%, and the selection committee’s discretion makes up the remaining 10%.

Because she had no recent domestic results, Manika lacked national ranking points, which significantly lowered her overall score despite her strong international standing. The nine-member selection committee held virtual meetings on June 7 and 9, 2026. For the women’s final spot, she has been replaced by teenager Syndrela Das.

The TTFI defended its decision, stating that the selection process ensured that India’s highest-ranked and most consistent performers earned the opportunity to represent the country by adhering to objective criteria based on world and national rankings.

Manika Batra’s Statement

In a detailed public statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Manika expressed deep disappointment not just with the outcome but with “the manner in which the selection criteria appear to have been interpreted and applied.” She noted that no specific reason had been communicated to her.

She highlighted potential inconsistencies with previous selection cycles, where players outside similar ranking thresholds had reportedly been included under special considerations. She pointed out that her world ranking of No. 51 is only marginally outside the top 50 and emphasized the rolling nature of international ranking points.

Manika has formally sought a detailed, documented explanation from the TTFI on how each component (national ranking, world ranking, and discretion) was weighted in her case. She also urged Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to intervene to ensure transparency, consistency, and fairness. She wrote to the TTFI, Sports Ministry, IOA, and Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Manika Batra’s Past TTFI Relations

This is not Manika’s first major dispute with the TTFI. In 2021, she alleged that then-national coach Soumyadeep Roy had pressured her to manipulate a match result in favour of his private student during an Asian Olympic qualifier. A Delhi High Court-appointed inquiry committee found substance in her claims. This led to the suspension of the TTFI’s executive committee and the appointment of a Committee of Administrators (CoA) to run the federation. The 2023 selection policy was introduced partly to bring greater objectivity following such controversies and repeated selection disputes.