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Indian TT Team Gets Rs 90 Lakh SAI Boost for Centenary World C'ships

The Sports Authority of India has provided over Rs 90 lakh in support for the Indian table tennis team ahead of the centenary ITTF World Team Championships in London. A 19-member contingent, including stars like Manika Batra and G Sathiyan, will compete from April 28 to May 10. Preparatory camps were held in Bengaluru and Sheffield to fine-tune performance. India aims to improve on their Round of 32 exit in the 2024 edition.

Key Points: Indian TT Team Gets Rs 90 Lakh SAI Boost for World C'ships

  • SAI provides Rs 90+ lakh support for Indian TT team
  • Centenary ITTF World Team Championships in London from April 28 to May 10
  • 19-member contingent includes Manika Batra, Sathiyan, Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai
  • Preparatory camps in Bengaluru and Sheffield
  • Men's group: Slovakia, Tunisia, Guatemala; Women's group: Ukraine, Uganda, Rwanda
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Indian TT team gets Rs 90 lakh support, overseas camp by SAI ahead of centenary World C'ships

SAI provides Rs 90 lakh support for Indian table tennis team ahead of centenary ITTF World Team Championships in London, featuring Manika Batra and Sathiyan.

"Both the men's and women's teams advanced to the knockout stages but exited in the Round of 32 in the 2024 edition. - Source: Press Release"

New Delhi, April 28

The Sports Authority of India put in place a comprehensive support worth over Rs 90 lakh to ensure the Indian table tennis team put their best foot forward at the milestone centenary International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships, which gets underway in London on Tuesday.

The event is scheduled from April 28 to May 10 at the OVO Arena in Wembley. A 19-member Indian contingent, comprising 10 players, three coaches, three support staff and three sparring partners, is representing the country at the prestigious global event, with leading names such as Manika Batra, Gnanasekaran Sathiyan, Manav Thakkar and Harmeet Desai spearheading the challenge across men's and women's competitions, as per a press release.

The Indian men's are drawn alongside Slovakia, Tunisia and Guatemala, while the women's team will take on Ukraine, Uganda and Rwanda in the group stages. The group stage matches are scheduled between April 28 and May 1. The Indian teams will be looking to go further this time around; both the men's and women's teams advanced to the knockout stages but exited in the Round of 32 in the 2024 edition of the competition in Busan.

Table Tennis will not feature in the Commonwealth Games 2026, but the WTTC London will provide a good litmus test ahead of the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, and also determine India's preparation and bench strength as the games set to return at the centenary Commonwealth Games 2030 in Bharat.

In the lead-up to the 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships, the Sports Authority of India sanctioned a series of preparatory camps to fine-tune the team's performance. A national coaching camp was held at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports Centre in Bengaluru from April 13 to 19 at a cost of Rs 13.26 lakh, followed by an overseas training stint in Sheffield from April 21 to 26, backed with Rs 20.92 lakh. This phased preparation, combining domestic conditioning with international exposure, was done with the aim of sharpening match readiness and adapting Massimo Constantini's players to the European playing conditions.

SAI also released a total fund of approximately Rs 60.1 lakh to the Table Tennis Federation of India to ensure the team's participation, including airfare, boarding and lodging, out-of-pocket allowances and entry fees, for our athletes and officials in the event.

Indian Teams for ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships 2026:

Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, Payas Jain

Manika Batra, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das

Massimo Costantini (Foreign Expert), Sourav Chakraborty, and Somnath Ghosh.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Good to see investment in non-cricket sports, but Rs 90 lakh for 19 people over two weeks seems a bit stretched. Airfare and accommodation in London is expensive, I get it, but I wish SAI had better cost optimization. Still, it's a positive move - our women's team especially has a good chance against Ukraine, Uganda, Rwanda. Go India! 🇮🇳
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Arjun K
Why no mention of the Commonwealth Games 2026 removal? That's a massive blow for Indian TT. Our athletes prepare for CWG medals, and now that's gone. This World Championships is crucial, but the bigger issue is the lack of a major multi-sport event for TT in the near future. SAI needs a long-term plan beyond just one camp. 🤔
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Jessica F
As someone who follows Indian sports, I'm impressed by SAI's structured approach - domestic camp in Bengaluru before overseas stint in Sheffield. That's smart preparation. But is Massimo Constantini the right foreign coach? The results haven't been spectacular. Would love to see some fresh tactics for the group stage. Best of luck to the team! 🤞
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Rohan X
Great to see young talents like Payas Jain and Syndrela Das in the squad. The bench strength is building nicely for the Asian Games 2026. But the real test will be against European teams - our players often struggle with the faster pace on the international circuit. That overseas camp in Sheffield is gold, but I hope they also work on mental conditioning. TT is as much about nerves as skill. 🧠

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