Tokyo Olympics: India’s best medal hopefuls in table tennis

With several Indian paddlers at the top of their game, the Tokyo Olympics might be the country’s best bet in clinching an Olympic medal. The 2016 Rio Olympics was the first time that four Indian paddlers have qualified for the Summer Games. Sharath Kamal, Soumyajit Ghosh, Manika Batra and Mouma Das had high expectations but failed to deliver in Rio. With the Olympics places up for grabs, Indian paddlers will be eager to seal their ticket to Tokyo. Below are the paddlers with the best chance of winning medals at Tokyo Olympics:

Manika Batra

The 25-year-old from Delhi is at a much better place now than compared to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Batra was still finding her feet at the international level as she crashed out of the Olympics in the first round. Five years later, a lot has changed for her. Manika reached her full potential at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning four medals at Gold Coast. The Indian women’s team clinched an unlikely Gold, beating the four-time Gold medalists Singapore in the final. In the process, Batra had stunned the then World No.4 Feng Tianwei in the final of the event.

Pairing with Mouma Das, she clinched India’s maiden Silver medal in the women’s doubles category. She also bagged a Bronze in the mixed doubles event. But Manika’s moment of fame came when she defeated Yu Mengyu of Singapore in the final to become the first Indian woman to bag a Commonwealth table tennis Gold in the singles category. With a powerful forehand and a variety of services, Batra has several tricks up her locker. This could be the Olympics where she takes the world by storm.

Sharath Kamal

The veteran paddler has participated in three Olympics till now. Starting with the Athens 2004, he was India’s only representative in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was also part of Rio 2016. His best performance at Olympics was a round-of-32 finish in Beijing. He will have to improve on it drastically to have a long run in the tournament. Kamal has the required ability to raise his game. One of his notable achievements till date is the Gold he clinched in the men’s singles category of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

Possessing a powerful forehand, Sharath has also developed a strong backhand over time. His aggressive style of play is a treat to watch as he seldom allows his opponents to take a breather in a match. Kamal, who is playing for Germany’s Bundesliga side Borussia Düsseldorf, has a lot of experience in European leagues. Training and playing alongside top international players in those leagues will come in handy for Sharath. At the age of 38, Tokyo Olympics might be his last opportunity at having a memorable Olympic run.