Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra to lead India's challenge at World Table Tennis Championships 2023

This will be the first time since 1939 that an African nation will host the worlds.

Seven-time CWG gold medallist Sharath Kamal and 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Manika Batra will spearhead an 11-member Indian squad at the World Table Tennis Championships 2023, which will take place in Durban from May 20 to 28. The 11-member Indian contingent comprises five men and six women.

The 57th edition of the World Table Tennis Championships 2023, which is also the first in Africa since 1939 when Egypt hosted the event, will be confined only to the team championships.

The selection committee of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) considered the latest selection policy, experience and the utility value of the individuals in important events before recommending the names of the players to represent the country.

The men’s team will consist of the top-ranked Indian in the world, G. Sathiyan (world No. 50), Sharath Kamal, Manush Shah, Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar. Manika Batra (world No. 40), Sreeja Akula, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Reeth Rishya, Archana Kamath and Diya Chitale will form the women’s squad.

Sathiyan, Sharath, Man­ush, and Harmeet will comp­ete in the men’s singles and the doubles. Sathiyan will pair up with Sharath, while Manush and Harmeet will form the second pair.

Sathiyan recently got the better of Sharath in the men’s singles final of the PSPB Inter Unit Table Tennis tournament.

Manika, Sreeja, Sutirtha and Reeth will compete in the singles. Also, Manika will team up with Archana, while Sreeja will combine with Diya in the women’s doubles.

Sathiyan and Manika will be India’s first pair in the mixed doubles, and the second will be Manav and Archana. Subhajit Saha and Mamata Prabhu will accompany the teams as men’s and women’s coaches, respectively.