Manav, Harmeet & Manush in Indian TT team for Asian TT
Gandhidham, Sept.5 : Three Gujarat paddlers-Olympians Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar and southpaw Manush Shah-found place in the five-member men’s Indian team for the prestigious 27th Asian Table Tennis Championships, scheduled to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from October 7 to 13.
The men’s team, led by seasoned A Sharath Kamal, also has G Sathiyan in their line up to make the Indians a formidable force at the Championships.
After debuting in Olympics at Paris 2024, both Surat boys-Harmeet and Manav-are exuding confidence. “Playing against the best at the Olympics in Paris has instilled a lot of self-belief in me,” the 31-year-old Harmeet said.
“I learnt a lot from my Paris sojourn and I am a better version of myself today,” the 24-year-old Manav said.
Gujarat State Table Tennis Association (GSTTA) president shri Pramod Chaudhary expressed delight over Gujarat boys’ selection in the Indian team for the Asians.
“These three boys have been a regular in the Indian team for the past couple of years. We are confident that they will overcome stiff competition and prosper under the guidance of foreign coach Massimo Constantini from Italy,” shri Chaudhary said.
A good performance at the Asian Championships in Astana is key for the Indian team as it serves as a crucial qualification event for the World Table Tennis Championships and the Asian Games.
Men’s Team: A. Sharath Kamal (Captain), Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai, G. Sathiyan, Manush Shah; Reserve Players: SFR Snehit and Jeet Chandra.
Women’s Team: Sreeja Akula, Manika Batra (Captain), Ayhika Mukherjee, Diya Chitale, Sutirtha Mukherjee; Reserve Players: Yashaswini Ghorpade and Poymantee Baisya
