Indian Table Tennis Team Receives Major Support Ahead of ITTF World Championships

Significant Support for Indian Table Tennis Team

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has allocated over Rs 90 lakh to bolster the Indian table tennis team's efforts at the centenary International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships (WTTC), commencing in London on Tuesday.

This prestigious event runs from April 28 to May 10 at the OVO Arena in Wembley. A contingent of 19 members, including 10 players, three coaches, three support staff, and three sparring partners, will represent India. Notable players such as Manika Batra, Gnanasekaran Sathiyan, Manav Thakkar, and Harmeet Desai will lead the charge in both men's and women's competitions, as stated in a press release.

The Indian men's team is set to compete against Slovakia, Tunisia, and Guatemala, while the women's team faces Ukraine, Uganda, and Rwanda in the group stages. Matches for the group stage are scheduled from April 28 to May 1. Both teams aim to advance further this year, having reached the knockout stages but falling in the Round of 32 during the 2024 competition in Busan.

Although table tennis will not be included in the Commonwealth Games 2026, the WTTC in London serves as a crucial benchmark ahead of the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. It will also assess India's preparation and talent pool for the return of table tennis at the Commonwealth Games 2030 in Bharat.

In preparation for the 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships, SAI has organized several training camps to enhance the team's performance. A national coaching camp took place at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports Centre in Bengaluru from April 13 to 19, costing Rs 13.26 lakh, followed by an overseas training session in Sheffield from April 21 to 26, funded with Rs 20.92 lakh. This structured preparation combines local training with international exposure to improve match readiness and acclimatize players to European conditions under coach Massimo Constantini.

SAI has also provided around Rs 60.1 lakh to the Table Tennis Federation of India to facilitate the team's participation, covering airfare, accommodation, daily allowances, and entry fees for athletes and officials.

Indian Teams for ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships 2026:

Men's team: Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, Payas Jain

Women's team: Manika Batra, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das

Coaches: Massimo Costantini (Foreign Expert), Sourav Chakraborty, and Somnath Ghosh.