India names 8-member table tennis team for ITTF Mixed World Cup 2024
The stage is set for the second edition of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup, slated to begin on December 1, 2024, in Chengdu, China. This prestigious tournament will see 16 nations compete for the coveted Guoliang-Sörling Trophy, with hosts China looking to defend their title from the inaugural edition in 2023.
The competition promises intense table tennis action as top teams such as China, Japan, and South Korea battle it out for supremacy.
India has announced a second-string team for this year’s event, placing their hopes on a new generation of players. While seasoned stars like Manika Batra, Achanta Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, and Sreeja Akula are absent, the team’s fresh faces are eager to make their mark.
With a mix of young talents and returning players, India aims to improve on their performance from the previous edition, where they struggled in the group stage.
Leading the Indian contingent are Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, and Poymantee Baisya, who will spearhead the campaign. They will be joined by Jeet Chandra, Snehit S, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Pritha Vartikar, and Sayali Wani.
Notably, Poymantee and Snehit bring prior experience, having participated in the inaugural edition of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup last year.
The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup features a two-stage format. In the first stage, 16 teams are divided into four groups, with each group comprising four teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the second stage, where eight teams compete in a round-robin format. The top four teams from this stage will proceed to the semi-finals, followed by the final to crown the champion.
India enters the tournament as the seventh seed, with China, Japan, and South Korea occupying the top three spots. The competition also includes strong teams such as Germany, France, Sweden, and the United States, making this a challenging test for India’s young players.
In the inaugural edition of the tournament held last year, India finished last in their group, managing only one win in the first stage. This time, the Indian squad is determined to surpass their previous performance and aim for a spot in the second stage.
The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024 offers India’s rising stars an opportunity to gain invaluable experience while competing against some of the world’s best table tennis nations.
Indian team for ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2024
Jeet Chandra, Manush Shah, Manav Thakkar, Snehit Suravajjula, Poymantee Baishya, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Pritha Vartikar, Sayali wani