New Delhi: India’s table tennis contingent for the upcoming Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, has been announced, with reigning Commonwealth Games champion Sharath Kamal and Asian Cup bronze medallist Manika Batra set to lead the 10-member team. The table tennis events at the Asian Games will take place from September 25 to October 2, within the larger span of the Games running from September 23 to October 8.
At the previous edition of the Asian Games, Indian table tennis players made history by securing their first medals. Sharath Kamal played a crucial role in leading the men’s team to a bronze medal, and he also partnered with Manika Batra to claim a bronze in mixed doubles. This year, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran will team up with Manika Batra in mixed doubles, while Sharath Kamal will focus on singles and join forces with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran for the men’s doubles event.
The men’s team, which secured bronze in the previous edition, will see a change in its lineup. Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar will be joined by Manush Shah, replacing Anthony Amalraj for this edition. The women’s squad will be led by Manika Batra, who became the first Indian woman table tennis player to win an Asian Cup medal in Bangkok last year. She will be accompanied by national champion Sreeja Akula, Olympian Sutirtha Mukherjee, Ayhika Mukherjee, and rising star Diya Chitale.
In women’s doubles, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee will team up, while Diya Chitale and Sreeja Akula will form the second Indian pair. The singles events will feature Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the men’s category and Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula in the women’s category. The Asian Games table tennis competition allows only two players per country to participate in singles.
The same 10-member squad will represent India at the Asian Table Tennis Championships, which will be held in the Republic of Korea from September 3 to 10.
The Indian table tennis team is filled with talent and determination, with experienced players like Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra leading the way. Their previous success at the Asian Games has undoubtedly fueled their aspirations for even better results this year. As they prepare to compete on the grand stage of the Asian Games, Indian fans eagerly await their performance and hope for a remarkable display of skill and sportsmanship.
The confirmed Indian table tennis squad for the Asian Games 2023 is as follows:
Men’s singles: Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
Women’s singles: Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula
Men’s doubles: Sharath Kamal/Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manav Thakkar/Manush Shah
Women’s doubles: Sutirtha Mukherjee/Ayhika Mukherjee and Sreeja Akula/Diya Chitale
Mixed doubles: Manika Batra/Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
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