Manika Batra Excluded from Main Indian Table Tennis Squad for Asian Games 2026

In a surprising turn of events, India's star table tennis player Manika Batra has been excluded from the main squad for the Asian Games 2026, being placed on the reserve list instead. The selection was influenced by the federation's policy, which weighs national and world rankings. Leading the team will be Sreeja Akula and G Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, with the competition set to take place from September 20 to 28. Despite her impressive track record, Batra's absence from domestic events impacted her ranking. The Indian squad aims to improve upon its previous medal tally in table tennis at the Asian Games.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 19, 2026, 03:18 IST

Manika Batra's Exclusion from the Asian Games Squad

India's prominent table tennis player, Manika Batra, has not been included in the primary squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2026, as reported by Olympics.com. Instead, she has been placed on the reserve list.

The Indian table tennis team for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games will be led by Olympians Sreeja Akula and G Sathiyan Gnanasekaran. The contingent consists of ten players, evenly split between men and women, along with two reserves for each gender.

Impact of Selection Policy on Batra

The selection process was guided by the federation's criteria, which allocates 50% of the weight to national rankings, 40% to world rankings, and 10% to the discretion of the selection committee.

Despite her status as one of India's top paddlers, Batra's absence from domestic tournaments adversely affected her national ranking, resulting in her reserve status. She is still recognized as the second-highest-ranked Indian in women's singles globally.

Team Composition and Leadership

Sreeja Akula, currently ranked 45th in the world, will lead the women's team, which also features players like Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee, and rising star Syndrela Das.

On the men's side, veteran player Sathiyan will captain the team, joined by Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, and Payas Jain.

Asian Games 2026 Event Details

The table tennis competitions at the Asian Games 2026 are scheduled from September 20 to 28, encompassing team, singles, and doubles events.

Historically, India has secured only three bronze medals in table tennis at the Asian Games. Notably, Batra and Sharath Kamal won a mixed doubles bronze in Jakarta 2018, while the men's team, including Harmeet Desai, Sathiyan, and Manav Thakkar, also earned bronze in the same event. Additionally, Sutirtha and Ayhika Mukherjee contributed another bronze in women's doubles at Hangzhou 2023.

Complete Indian Table Tennis Squad for Asian Games 2026

Men: G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, Payas Jain.

Women: Sreeja Akula, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das.

Reserves: Ankur Bhattacharjee, Ronit Bhanja (men); Swastika Ghosh, Manika Batra (women).