The Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) season 5 is set to begin on August 22nd in Chennai with the addition of two new teams, Ahmedabad SG Pipers and Jaipur Patriots. The Jaipur Patriots, aiming for a strong title challenge, have secured the services of in-form Indian paddler Sreeja Akula, along with South Korea’s Cho Seungmin and other talented players.
India’s women’s table tennis team exceeded expectations at the Paris 2024 Olympics, outperforming their male counterparts. Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula reached the singles pre-quarterfinals, a first for Indian table tennis, while the team advanced to the quarterfinals. Despite facing strong competition, the women showcased impressive skills and resilience, highlighting the progress of Indian table tennis.
Indian table tennis star Sreeja Akula has been ruled out of the upcoming Ultimate Table Tennis season due to a stress fracture. The injury requires six weeks of rest, forcing her to withdraw from the tournament. Akula’s absence is a significant loss for the Jaipur Patriots, who drafted her for the season.
Sreeja Akula, the Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champion, has become India’s top-ranked woman table tennis player. She replaced Manika Batra in the latest ITTF Chart, rising to a career-high rank of 38. Akula climbed a spot while Batra slipped two places to 39. Yashaswini Ghorpade and Archana Kamath remained at 99th and 100th position in the rankings. Meanwhile, Sharath Kamal continues to be the top-ranked male player for India, holding the 37th spot. G Sathiyan and Manav Thakar have interchanged places to be 60th and 61st respectively.
Sreeja Akula, the Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champion, has risen to the 38th spot in the latest ITTF rankings, becoming India’s highest-ranked female table tennis player. Akula, who had won the WTT Feeder Corpus Christi and WTT Feeder Beirut titles earlier this year, surpassed Manika Batra, who slipped to 39th. Akula’s rise marks a significant moment for Indian table tennis, with the 25-year-old showcasing impressive form and consistency. Yashaswini Ghorpade and Archana Kamath retained their rankings at 99th and 100th, respectively, while Sharath Kamal remains the top-ranked male player at 37th. The Indian team has already qualified for the team events at the Paris Olympics, with the Table Tennis Federation of India set to decide the singles entries by May 16 based on world rankings.
Sreeja Akula, the recent Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champion, has replaced Manika Batra as India’s top-ranked women’s table tennis player in the latest ITTF World Rankings. Akula’s strong season, including victories in WTT Feeder events and a quarterfinal appearance in the WTT Star Contender Series, has propelled her to a career-best ranking of 38th. Meanwhile, Batra has dropped a few spots to 39th. Other Indian players remained steady in the rankings, with Yashaswini Ghorpade and Archana Kamath retaining their positions at 99th and 100th, respectively. Sharath Kamal continues to be India’s top-ranked male player, standing at 37th, while G Sathiyan and Manav Thakar swapped places to occupy the 60th and 61st positions. Notably, Harmeet Desai, the previous top-ranked Indian, has dropped to 64th. India has already secured team event berths for the Paris Olympics, while the singles entries will be determined by the Table Tennis Federation of India based on world rankings as of May 16th.
