New Delhi [India], July 8 : Sharath Kamal the reigning Commonwealth Games champion and Asian Cup bronze medallist Manika Batra will lead India's 10-member table tennis contingent at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China.
The Table Tennis Federation of India released an official statement to announce the 10-member squad. The 19th edition of the Asian Games will take place from September 23 to October 8, table tennis events will be held from September 25 to October 2.
Indian table tennis players created history in the last edition by winning their first medals at the Asian Games. Sharath Kamal led the Indian men's team to a bronze medal and he also teamed up with Manika Batra to clinch a bronze in the mixed doubles event.
However, this year Sathiyan Gnanasekaran will team up with Manika Batra in a mixed doubles event. Sharath Kamal will play singles and will pair with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in a men's doubles event.
The men's team at the last edition will consist of Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Anthony Amalraj, Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar. Manush Shah replaces Anthony Amalraj for this edition while the rest of the team remains the same.
Manika Batra became the first Indian woman table tennis player to win an Asian Cup medal last year in Bangkok. She will lead the women's squad which consists of national champion Sreeja Akula, Olympian Sutirtha Mukherjee, Ayhika Mukherjee, and promising youngster Diya Chitale.
Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee will play in women's doubles while Diya Chitale and Sreeja Akula will be the second Indian women's pair.
Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran will compete in men's singles while Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula will feature in women's singles. Only two players per country are allowed to compete in singles at the Asian Games table tennis competition.
This 10-member squad will also represent India at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in the Republic of Korea from September 3 to 10.
Indian players for Asian Games 2023 table tennis:
Men's singles: Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
Women 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 and Sreeja Akula/Harmeet Desai.
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