Asian Games 2026: Focus on Manav-Manush, Diya-Manush as India begin table tennis campaign

Manika Batra’s Absence

The preview of India’s campaign in ping pong can’t begin anywhere else. Manika Batra, one of the greatest paddlers the country has produced, will watch continental Games from the reserve bench, instead of being in the thick of the action.

The TTFI’s rigid selection policy, which gives higher weightage to the domestic tournaments than international rankings, put Batra out of contention by the narrowest of margins. When the qualification window ended, she was ranked just outside the top-50 in women’s singles world rankings – as per the policy world top-50 ranked players were earmarked to get a direct entry to the squad.

Batra also missed much of the domestic calendar over the past couple of years, chasing world rankings, which ultimately didn’t work out.

The fallout was messy with Batara first alleging constitutional violations by TTFI and threatening legal action before eventually taking a back seat.

Team events

India opened their campaign on Sunday with both men’s and women’s teams drawn in Group F.

The women’s team face Indonesia and then a much sterner test against Singapore, a side anchored by Olympian Zeng Jian.

India’s counter to that experience is 17-year-old Syndrela Das, a genuine wildcard who already has wins over her more experienced domestic counterparts, including Batra.

But in the absence of Batra, the onus to lead the lineup shifts to Sreeja Akula.

With the presence of Diya Chitale, Yashashwini Ghorpade, and Sutirtha Mukherjee, the realistic ceiling for the team would be a strong run into the Round of 16 or quarter-finals.

The men’s team, meanwhile, have Indonesia to deal with but it is Iran, who could pose a real threat with Noshad Alamiyan and Nima Alamian in the picture.

Noshad, 34, is a giant killer with a 2018 men’s singles bronze and a win over Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan at the 2024 Paris Olympics on his resume.

India’s depth, though, could be the difference maker. The experience of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai, alongside the steadily rising Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah and an even younger Payas Jain should help them advance to the knockouts.

A medal, however, would require avoiding teams like China, Japan, South Korea, or Chinese Taipei until the semi-finals.

Both the Indian men’s and women’s team will also go up against Pakistan in the respective groups, which will be interesting encounters, not on the table but off it with the political tensions between the two nations.

Doubles, India’s best medal bet

More than the team events, it is the doubles events where India’s best medal chances might lie. It is not often that you say this for Indian table tennis.

Thakkar-Shah, in men’s doubles, have climbed as high as world No 2 in the recent past. If the two lads from Gujarat manage to hold their nerves and not falter under pressure against lesser known names like they tend to do, a medal is a realistic expectation.

Mixed doubles offer another real shot for India with Shah-Chitale ranked world No 5. The duo has beaten elite pairs in the past and a good draw might just put them in contention as dark horses.

Singles, a bridge too far

The Asian Games singles table tennis field is often arguably tougher than the Olympic Games themselves. With the presence of China, Japan, and South Korean paddlers, and players from Chinese Taipei, Singapore and others all capable of punching above their weight, a medal might be a bridge too far.

But if Akula in women’s singles and Thakkar in men’s singles can land a favourable draw, Indian table tennis fans can always dream.

Indian table tennis team for 2026 Asian Games

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

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

Where to watch?

You can catch all the LIVE action from table tennis at the 2026 Asian Games on the Sony Sports Network.