Paris Olympics: Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal to Lead India’s 6-Member Table Tennis Contingent

Veteran Sharath Kamal and World No. 24 Manika Batra will spearhead India’s first-ever Olympic table tennis team entries at the Paris Games. The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) selected a six-member squad (three men and three women) based on world rankings.

Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar will compete in the men’s team event, while Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath will represent India in the women’s team. G. Sathiyan and Ayhika Mukherjee will be alternate players.

Sharath Kamal (men’s singles) and Harmeet Desai (men’s singles), Manika Batra (women’s singles) and Sreeja Akula (women’s singles) will also vie for individual medals.

This will be Sharath Kamal’s fifth and final Olympic appearance, a testament to his longevity in the sport. The selection process was based on pre-defined TTFI criteria, with consistent performance and world rankings playing a key role.

The teams:

Men: A. Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar; Alternate Player: G. Sathiyan.

Women: Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath; Alternate Player: Ayhika Mukherjee.