Paris 2024 Olympics table tennis draw: Indian men's team to face defending champions China; Manika Batra & co take on Romania
The 2024 Paris Olympics table tennis draw for the team event left a stern challenge for the Indian men's team. The Indian table tennis squad is eagerly preparing for the showpiece event, with competitions scheduled from July 27 to August 10 at the South Paris Arena.
This year’s games are particularly special for India as they will be competing in the team events for the first time at the Olympics, a category introduced at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The Indian team, captained by the seasoned Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra, features a six-member squad ready to take on the best in the world. The men’s and women’s teams secured their Olympic spots based on their impressive rankings as of March, setting high expectations for their performance in Paris.
In the men’s team event, India faces a formidable challenge in their opening round against the People’s Republic of China. China has dominated the men’s team event since its inception, winning gold at every edition of the Olympics since 2008.
The Indian team, however, brings its own strengths to the table, led by Sharath Kamal, ranked 40th in the world, alongside Manav Thakkar and national champion Harmeet Desai, ranked 62nd and 63rd respectively.
Gnanasekaran Sathiyan, who has contributed to India’s gold medal victories in the Commonwealth Games, will serve as a reserve player.
India women's table tennis team drawn against Romania in Paris 2024 Olympics table tennis draw
On the women’s side, India will compete against Romania in the round of 16. The Indian women’s team, seeded 11th, faces a tough match against the fourth-seeded Romanians. If they advance, they could meet the Rio 2016 silver medalists, Germany, in the next round.
The women’s team includes Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula, with Archana Kamath completing the trio. Ayhika Mukherjee has been named as the reserve player for the women’s team event.
Men’s team at Paris 2024 Olympics table tennis draw
- Round of 16: India vs China
Women’s team at Paris 2024 Olympics table tennis draw
- Round of 16: India vs Romania