Despite facing defeat in their pre-quarterfinal matches at the ITTF World Table Tennis Team Championships in Busan on Wednesday, both the Indian men’s and women’s teams are set to qualify for the Olympics for the first time ever, securing the last world ranking spots.
This marks India’s inaugural qualification for the team event of an Olympics in table tennis since its inclusion at the Beijing 2008 Games.
Although the official team rankings will be released on March 4, preliminary calculations indicate that both table tennis teams have secured their places for Paris.
“The men’s and women’s teams showcased exceptional performances, and we are immensely proud of them. We eagerly anticipate the official confirmation of our qualification for the Paris Olympics, which is expected on March 5th,” remarked Kamlesh Mehta, General Secretary of the Table Tennis Federation of India.
The men’s table tennis team, spearheaded by 10-time national champion Sharath Kamal, suffered a 3-0 defeat against the formidable hosts Korea. Meanwhile, the women’s team displayed resilience but fell short, losing 1-3 to the higher-ranked Chinese Taipei, featuring renowned players such as World No.10 Cheng I-Ching and World No.41 Szu-Yu Chen.
“The entire team is brimming with excitement. This day has been eagerly anticipated for quite a while. We’re overjoyed that we’ve secured our spot for the Olympics, although we await the official confirmation of our quota. It’s an incredible collective effort from everyone involved—players, coaches, support staff, federation, and SAI. Qualifying as a team in both men’s and women’s categories is truly historic,” remarked top Indian men’s player Gnanasekaran Sathiyan.
With only 16 teams qualifying for the event, the competition is intense, knowing that two victories at the Olympics assure a medal.
It’s also a highly coveted event because it secures two guaranteed singles entries for the Olympics.
Among the women, Manika Batra and Sreeja would have qualified based on rankings, but this development significantly benefits the men’s team. While the final decision rests with the Table Tennis Federation of India, the competition for the two spots among World No.67 Harmeet Desai, veteran Sharath, Sathiyan, and Manav Thakkar promises to be intriguing. Additionally, Sathiyan is expected to secure a spot in the mixed doubles event, partnering with Manika Batra.
The 41-year-old Sharath, a veteran of four Olympic Games representing India, recently expressed to The Indian Express his dream of competing in a team event at the Olympics.
“I’ve witnessed the growth of this team. Participating in a team event at the Olympics would be the realization of a dream. The camaraderie we share and the support we’ve provided each other over the years is truly remarkable. To compete in an event with genuine medal prospects would be beyond belief,” he stated.
In a remarkable display during the tournament’s opening round, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sreeja Akula caused a sensation by defeating Chinese World No.1 Sun Yingsha and World No.2 Wang Yidi, respectively.
Prior to this event, an Indian had never defeated a top-ranked Chinese player. However, the recent double victories have demonstrated that India possesses the capability to spring surprises against the best in the world. Nevertheless, there remains a pressing need for India to enhance their consistency significantly.
Indian TT on upswing
Since Sharath’s medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Indian table tennis has been on a steady rise. This upward trajectory gained momentum over the past decade, particularly following Manika’s remarkable performance at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where she clinched four medals. Manika continued to shine by securing an Asian Games mixed doubles bronze, a historic first for India, alongside Sharath. Building on this success, Sutirtha and Ayhika Mukherjee achieved the unexpected at the Hangzhou Asian Games, securing a women’s doubles bronze by defeating a top Chinese pair on their home turf.
Sathiyan, who previously mentioned he allowed his singles rankings to decline in order to prioritize mixed doubles, will now need to refocus on enhancing his singles ranking once more.
“To be frank, winning a singles medal will be quite challenging. I’ve competed once before, and while I might advance a couple of rounds further, the reality is you’re still a few rounds away from a shot at a medal. So, I should focus on an event where I have a better chance of success,” he remarked.
While the entire Indian contingent in Busan would undoubtedly celebrate their qualification for the Olympics, they are also aware that until the qualification window closes, individual aspirations must temporarily take precedence over team spirit.
