Olympics 2024: Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra to lead Team India in Table Tennis

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India has announced their six-member Table Tennis squad for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Veteran Sharath Kamal and world no. 24 Manika Batra will lead the Indian men's and women's squads respectively at the Paris Games as India is set to make their debut in Table Tennis at the Olympics.

Although Indian table tennis players have represented individually, this is the first time an Indian team will participate in the quadrennial event.

The senior selection committee of the Table Tennis Federation of India on Thursday picked a six-member squad (three in each section) as per the Olympics norms, besides naming the individuals who would compete in the singles events.

Sharath, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar will form the three-member men's team, while Manika, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath will be squad members in the women's category.

G. Sathiyan and Ayhika Mukherjee will be travelling with the team as reserve players for male and female department respectively.

In the men's singles, Sharath and Harmeet will compete and it will be Manika and Sreeja in the women's event. The decision was taken based on the latest world rankings.

It is set to be the fifth and final Olympic appearance for 41-year-old Sharath. The veteran made his debut in the Olympics in 2004.

After Manika and Sreeja Akula walked in on the back of their higher world rankings (top 50), Archana Kamath (103) made it to the team as the third player. The Bengaluru paddler edged out Ayhika Mukherjee (133), who is travelling as the alternate reserve.

As for the men, Sharath picked himself as the top-ranked Indian at No. 40, while Harmeet (No. 63) and Manav (No. 62) were separated by one slot in WR. Though both made it to the team composition, National champion Harmeet got the selectors' nod based on his international and national performances.

The reserve players Sathiyan and Ayhika will travel with the team to Paris but will not stay in the official Games Village. They will be only required if any injury occurs to the main roster.

Paris Olympics 2024: India Squad for Table Tennis

Men's team: Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar; Reserve player: G. Sathiyan

Men's singles: Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai

Women's team: Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Archana Kamath; Reserve player: Ayhika Mukherjee

Women's singles: Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula

(With PTI Inputs)