At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sreeja Akula and Manika Batra stand as the highest-seeded Indian players in the table tennis tournament, with seedings of 16th and 18th, respectively. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) released these seedings recently. In total, 67 players are seeded in each of the men’s and women’s singles competitions, and 16 teams are seeded for both men’s and women’s team events. The tournament will kick off on July 27 at the South Paris Arena and run until August 10.
Sreeja Akula has been making waves in the table tennis world, reaching a career-best No. 24 in the world rankings last month, surpassing Manika Batra as India’s top women’s singles player. The 25-year-old Akula, a two-time national champion, made history by becoming the first Indian table tennis player to win a WTT Contender singles title in Lagos in June. Additionally, she claimed the doubles title in the same tournament, partnering with Archana Kamath. Akula’s recent achievements have earned her a prominent position as she enters the Olympic competition.
Manika Batra, ranked 28th in the world, is only two places behind Akula in the Olympic seedings. A former Commonwealth Games champion, Batra reached the quarter-finals of the Saudi Smash women’s singles event in May, becoming the first Indian singles table tennis player to achieve this feat at a WTT Grand Smash event. The Paris 2024 Olympics will mark Batra’s third consecutive appearance at the Games, highlighting her consistent performance and experience on the international stage.
Veteran player Sharath Kamal is set to make his fifth Olympic appearance, seeded 24th in the men’s singles competition. The 41-year-old, a two-time Commonwealth Games men’s singles champion, achieved his best Olympic finish to date at Tokyo 2020, where he reached the third round. Kamal’s extensive experience and leadership will be crucial for the Indian table tennis contingent.
National champion Harmeet Desai, ranked 86th in the world, is seeded 49th in the men’s singles and will be making his Olympic debut. His inclusion adds depth to the Indian men’s team, which will be competing in the team events for the first time in Olympic history.
India will also be making its debut in the team table tennis events at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The men’s team, seeded 14th, and the women’s team, seeded 11th, reflect India’s growing prowess in the sport. Joining the singles players in the team events are Manav Thakkar for the men’s team and Archana Kamath for the women’s team. The introduction of team events to the Olympic programme in Beijing 2008 has provided an additional platform for countries to showcase their collective strength in table tennis.
All six Indian table tennis players qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics through their world rankings, underscoring the high level of competition they bring to the Games. However, there will be no Indian representation in the mixed doubles tournament. The Indian contingent aims to make a significant impact in Paris, leveraging their individual skills and team dynamics to achieve success.
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