Sreeja Akula, the reigning Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champion, reached a career pinnacle on Tuesday, ascending to the 38th spot in the latest ITTF rankings. This remarkable achievement sees her surpassing Manika Batra to claim the title of India’s top-ranked women’s table tennis player.
In contrast, Manika slipped two places to the 39th position, reflecting the dynamic nature of rankings in the sport.
The 25-year-old Sreeja has been enjoying a stellar year thus far, marked by notable victories. She clinched titles at the WTT Feeder Corpus Christi and WTT Feeder Beirut tournaments in January and March respectively. Additionally, she showcased her prowess by advancing to the quarter-finals of the WTT Star Contest held in Goa.
Sreeja’s stellar performance extends beyond individual achievements; she teamed up with veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal to secure the mixed doubles gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile, Yashaswini Ghorpade and Archana Kamat occupied the 99th and 100th spots respectively in the rankings.
Among the male players, Sharath Kamal leads the Indian contingent at the 37th position. G Sathiyan and Manav Thakkar exchanged positions, now sitting at 60th and 61st respectively. Harmeet Desai, the former top-ranked Indian player, experienced a decline to the 64th spot in the latest rankings.
With India already securing qualification for the team events at the Paris Olympics, attention now turns to the selection of two singles players in each category. The Table Tennis Federation of India will make the decision based on the players’ world rankings by May 16, highlighting the significance of maintaining and improving their positions in the global standings.
