India’s leading table tennis player, Manika Batra, has been excluded from the Asian Games squad after reportedly failing to meet the selection criteria set by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). Despite being the second-highest-ranked Indian woman in the latest world rankings, Batra was not included in the final team for the continental event.
The 31-year-old Olympian has since raised concerns over the selection process, questioning the consistency and transparency of the criteria used by the federation. On June 19, Batra took to X to express her disappointment, stating, โMy non-selection for the Asian Games 2026 squad is deeply disheartening, with no specific reason communicated.โ
She further highlighted what she believes to be inconsistencies in the application of selection norms, writing, โQuestions arise on consistency, as different thresholds and considerations were applied in the previous selection cycle compared to my case. If the same rules are meant to apply as in the last Asian Games selection,โ she added.
Calling for greater clarity from the authorities, Batra said, โI have sought clarity on the process and respectfully request the Honโble Prime Minister, Honโble Sports Minister and Indian Olympic Association to look into the matter and ensure transparency and fair application of selection norms,โ she concluded.
The TTFI’s selection policy reportedly assigned 50 percent weightage to national rankings, 40 percent to world rankings, and the remaining 10 percent to the discretion of the selection committee.
Batra’s exclusion has sparked debate over the federation’s selection procedures, with the player seeking a clearer explanation of how the criteria were applied in determining India’s Asian Games squad.
Manika Batraโs illustrious career so far
Born in Delhi, this 31-year-old pioneering Indian table tennis star became the first female Indian paddler to win a Commonwealth Games singles gold in 2018 and reach the Olympic round of 16.ย
She started playing the game when she was four years old and by the time she was 21, she was playing in the Olympics (Rio 2016). By 2017, she had climbed to world number 104 on the ITTF rankings, becoming India’s highest-ranked female table tennis player. Along with Mouma Das, she made history by entering the quarter finals of the World Table Tennis Championships.
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Written by Jitisha Parihar. She is an intern with India TV Digital.ย
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