Asian Games 2026: Manika Batra appeals to PM Modi over omission from Indian squad

The three-time Olympian has been named in the reserves.

Ace paddler Manika Batra has expressed her disappointment publicly, after being omitted from the Indian table tennis squad for the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games 2026.

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) announced a 10-member squad (five each for the Men’s and Women’s events) on Thursday, with the 31-year-old Delhiite being named as one of the four reserves.

The three-time Olympian took to social media platform X this morning, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandviya and the Indian Olympic Association to take action.

“My non-selection for the Asian Games 2026 squad is deeply disheartening, with no specific reason communicated. Questions arise on consistency, as different thresholds and considerations were applied in the previous selection cycle compared to my case, if the same rules are meant to apply as in the last Asian Games selection,” she said.

“I have sought clarity on the process and respectfully request the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Sports Minister and Indian Olympic Association to look into the matter and ensure transparency and fair application of selection norms,” she added.

Manika, ranked number #51 in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Women’s Singles rankings, is one of the most decorated paddlers in the nation’s history.

She is a double-gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games and has also won multiple medals at the continental level, including a bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games in the Mixed Doubles event.

The three-time Olympian is currently the India number #2, after World Number #45 Sreeja Akula. What went against her, though, is the TTFI’s selection policy which gave 50 percent weightage to national rankings, 40 percent to world rankings and 10 percent to the selection committee’s discretion.

Considering her absence from domestic tournaments, her national rankings took a beating, which eventually costed her a spot at the quadrennial event.

It would now be interesting to see if the authorities make an exception for the Khel Ratna awardee, considering her immense stature.

There is indeed a precedent—Diya Chitale was included in the squad for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 after she had approached the Delhi High Court, challenging the initial decision.

The women’s squad for the Asian Games, spearheaded by Akula, also includes Diya, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Syndrela Das. Swastika Ghosh has been named as a reserve, along with Manika.

Meanwhile, the men’s team consists of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah and Payas Jain, with Ankur Bhattacharjee and Ronit Bhanja acting as reserves.

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