India’s 10-member desk tennis contingent is already in Japan, with the Aichi-Nagoya competitors for the occasion starting on September 20. On the forefront are world No. 3 males’s doubles pair Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah, whereas India additionally has expertise in Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai, and a youthful group that includes Sreeja Akula, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale and Syndrela Das.For Neha Aggarwal Sharma, the distinction between this Indian group and the one she was a part of on the 2014 Asian Video games is tough to overlook.“I keep in mind once I performed on the 2014 Asian Video games, we misplaced within the quarterfinals. We performed towards China. It was an in depth match.”“We misplaced just a few others. I imply, we weren’t actually anticipated to win medals and it was okay. And now minimize to 2026, in the event you take a look at, say, my sport, desk tennis particularly, we’re getting into because the world quantity three in males’s doubles,” Sharma instructed Timesofindia.com in an unique interplay facilitated by Sony Sports activities Community.12 years on, the expectation round Indian desk tennis has modified. Sharma sees it not solely within the rankings and outcomes, however in how the gamers strategy worldwide competitors.“The kind of enchancment that India has seen is phenomenal. And I believe that mindset shift is what’s, to me as an athlete, what we have to see. And we’re seeing now for India, Indian sports activities total.”For desk tennis particularly, nonetheless, Sharma isn’t suggesting the job is finished. India has moved up the rankings, gained on the WTT Feeder degree and began amassing medals at Contenders. Nonetheless, towards China, Japan and Korea, the consistency continues to be lacking.“We’re profitable, say, on the WTT degree, we’re profitable feeders. We at the moment are profitable medals on the Contenders, we’ve had some good performances on the [WTT] Star Contenders as effectively. However I believe we’re not constantly beating China, Japan and Korea.“You’d see one-off wins right here and there. However for us to actually bridge that hole, I believe it will take one other technology to try this,” assessed the 2008 Olympian.
Doubles carries the clearest medal alternative
The energy of this Indian squad is unfold throughout the doubles occasions, and for Sharma, that’s the place India can realistically problem for medals and construct in the direction of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.“Firstly, we’ve to start out constructing the narrative for blended doubles and males’s and ladies’s doubles. Why? it’s on the Olympics now, quite simple. And even in the event you speak from LA perspective, these are the occasions that are our real medal possibilities.”“So, even, to not put stress on Manav, Manush, Dia, Yashaswini, however genuinely we’ve possibilities,” quipped the previous No. 1 ranked Indian paddler.India additionally has a current Asian Video games reference level in ladies’s doubles. Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee had gained a historic bronze on the 2022 Hangzhou Video games.“Final time, in the event you recall, Suteertha and Ahika had gained the bronze within the ladies’s doubles. In order that’s one clear, clear medal likelihood,” mentioned Sharma.
Males’s group has expertise round Manav and Manush
The boys’s group combines the present type of Manush and Manav with the expertise of Sathiyan and Harmeet. Sathiyan has been a mainstay of Indian desk tennis for greater than a decade, and Sharma believes his expertise can have a task within the group occasion.“Manush is in incredible type. Manav has been doing nice as effectively, and it’s good to see Sathiyan again. He had a little bit of a downfall the final two years, however very, very comfortable to see [him back] as a result of his expertise will depend quite a bit from the group’s perspective.”
India’s ladies’s group, in the meantime, has a special activity. Sharma recalled the earlier Video games, when India misplaced to Thailand within the spherical of 16.“I believe this time, if we get previous that spherical of 16, when you’re within the quarterfinals, you may have China, Japan, Korea and I believe Hong Kong or Singapore, both of those 4 nations, relying on the draw. There it is anyone’s sport, for my part, so it’s potential.”And he or she believes the lads have the stronger team-event likelihood.“I do imagine the lads have a greater likelihood within the group occasions than the ladies do.”However when requested the place she would put her strongest medal name, Sharma went again to the doubles.“We are able to certainly get medals within the group occasions as effectively. However my largest wager would certainly be the blended doubles and males’s and ladies’s doubles occasions.”
The Manika Batra hole
There may be additionally a conspicuous absence from India’s ladies’s group. Manika Batra was unnoticed of the Asian Video games squad after not assembly the choice standards, together with her absence from home occasions which means she didn’t function within the TTFI’s nationwide rankings. Batra publicly questioned the consistency and transparency of the choice course of and sought an in depth rationalization from the federation.It has left India with out one in all its most skilled ladies’s gamers for the Asian Video games – and Sharma was cautious to not let the choice row overshadow what the group taking the courtroom in Japan can do.“Conserving the controversy apart, see, I believe Manika has actually asserted her place in world desk tennis as anyone who can beat anyone at any time.”“You’ll be able to see from 2018 onwards, that is when she rose. And until now, you retain seeing these one-off wins. And after we spoke about consistency, proper? Like Manika has been capable of constantly beat world prime 20 gamers.”
For Sharma, Batra’s worth additionally comes from her potential to deal with stress and the way in which her presence can have an effect on an opponent.“She is one participant who performs effectively underneath stress. You want these gamers in your group. Second, additionally related is Sreeja.”However Sharma emphasised that the main target needs to be on the gamers who will likely be in Japan.“We’ll miss Manika. However sure, gamers like her simply increase the morale otherwise. Even from the opponent’s perspective that, you understand, anyone like her is there. However having mentioned that, I simply really feel that permit’s not get into all of that.”“Let’s give attention to who we’ve. Sreeja is simply recent off of profitable the feeder at Puerto Princesa. I believe, even anyone like a Syndrela Das, she simply performs her coronary heart out.”
Divyanshi and Syndrela lead the following technology
There’s a wider level to Sharma’s argument in regards to the hole with China, Japan and Korea. India has had gamers reminiscent of Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra who might produce outcomes on the highest degree.Now, Sharma is trying on the youngsters coming via behind them – amongst them Divyanshi Bhowmick and Syndrela, two gamers she believes have the sport and mindset to ultimately problem one of the best in Asia.Syndrela is already in Japan with the Asian Video games squad; Bhowmick figures in Sharma’s evaluation of the bigger pipeline.“To construct a technology of athletes, say, for instance, a Divyanshi Bhowmick or a Syndrela Das, proper, at respectively 15 and 17 years outdated, the kind of sport that they’ve and the mindset that they’ve, they’re actually those who can constantly be there on the degree the place we are able to beat our prime class of China, Japan, Korea.”Sharma pointed to the variety of younger Indian gamers now competing at WTT occasions.
“As a result of I can already see the following crop arising. Simply the variety of gamers which have elevated when it comes to participation. I imply, it is incredible the variety of gamers who’re taking part in on the under-15 and under-17 degree on the WTT ranges.“They’re spending from their very own facet and going and participating in tournaments. It is heartening to see that.”And when requested which Indian desk tennis gamers she was most considering watching on the Video games, Sharma returned to Syndrela and the lads’s doubles pair.“In desk tennis, I’m very enthusiastic about… One is Syndrela Das. And second is for Manav and Manush to both get us the lads’s doubles. Or within the males’s group, to see these wins.”(Watch Asian Video games 2026 dwell and unique on Sony Sports activities Community and Sony LIV)