The Sports Ministry suspended recognition of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Wednesday over repeated governance lapses.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports suspended the recognition of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Wednesday over repeated governance-related deficiencies.
The TTFI, currently led by Meghna Ahlawat, came under intense scrutiny after Manika Batra, the country’s top table tennis player, was left out of India’s main squad for the 2026 Asian Games and was named as a reserve. Batra threatened legal action and went back and forth with TTFI over her non-selection before dropping the dispute and issuing her final response.
TTFI suspended by the Sports Ministry of India
According to PTI, the Sports Ministry has directed the Indian Olympic Association to form an adโhoc committee to oversee the sport until a proper governance structure is reinstated.
In the order, the Sports Ministry cited the federation’s failure to hold elections on time as one of the biggest reasons for its suspension. The report added that they received an “unsatisfactory response” to a show cause notice they had issued earlier.
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“The IOA, in consultation with the international body (ITTF), will take appropriate action to create an internal regulatory mechanism, including the constitution of an ad-hoc committee, till such time that a duly constituted governance structure is restored in TTFI,” the ministry order stated.
TTFI was embroiled in major controversies
Apart from the Manika Batra selection controversy, TTFI has been embroiled in a major internal power dispute adter Secretary General Kamlesh Mehta was suspended in January 2026 over alleged financial irregularities. Delhi HC eventually quashed his suspension.
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Concern over athlete welfare also took centre stage after delays in conducting national championships raised questions over the federation’s commitment towards player welfare. It was one of the highlighted failures of the suspension order issued by the ministry.