Manika Batra has raised concerns about selection matters within the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) after she was excluded from the Asian Games squad. In an open plea, Batra, who has previously won an Asian Games mixed bronze medal, a first Asian Championships medal, and countless Commonwealth Games medals, has sought intervention from both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.
Batra tagged both the PM and the sports minister on the micro-blogging site X, raising concerns over her exclusion, stating that reasons were not communicated to her. She further implied that in the last Asian Games selection cycle, the committee used different criteria to select the team.
“My non-selection for the Asian Games 2026 squad is deeply disheartening, with no specific reason communicated. Questions arise on consistency, as different thresholds and considerations were applied in the previous selection cycle compared to my case, if the same rules are meant to apply as in the last Asian Games selection,” Batra said on Friday.
“I have sought clarity on the process and respectfully request the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Sports Minister and Indian Olympic Association to look into the matter and ensure transparency and fair application of selection norms,” her statement added.
TTFI Selection Criteria
Even if Manika is right to question her exclusion, her main concern about not being informed may not be valid. The TTFI selection committee strictly adhered to their selection criterion, which has been on its website since May 9, 2023.
The document clearly defines the criteria: 50 percent weightage is given to international rankings, 40 percent for domestic competitions, and the remaining 10 percent is left to the discretion of the committee. Players in the top 50 rankings of the World Table Tennis charts get automatic berths. Manika is currently ranked 51.
“When a team/players are being selected, the rankings to be used should always be the latest National & World Rankings or as per the cut-off date announced,” the policy states.
“If the point difference between 2 players is 10 points or less than 10 points, then the selection committee may consider any one of the below mentioned two criteria: I. The player with the higher world ranking shall be selected. II. The head-to-head count of matches played between the concerned players in National Rankings/National Championships in the previous 12 months,” it added.
Domestic Participation Issue
According to TTFI, Manika has not appeared in a domestic meet for over a year and has zero domestic points. “She did not even take part for her employers (India Oil Corporation Ltd) in the last two years. She has no points from the domestic circuit. TTFI has followed its selection rules and there is no malafide intention to keep her out,” said a source in the know of developments.
TTFI had to submit a full team list to the Indian Olympic Association by June 10, 2026. The TTFI selected the team without Manika on June 9.
IOA's Stance
Interestingly, the IOA has already distanced itself from the matter. IOA’s chief executive officer, Raghuram Iyer, said that selection matters are the sole domain of respective national sports federations. “We do not interfere in selection. We just need to ensure that whatever the policies that were laid down are followed. I think that is best left for the Table Tennis Federation of India to decide,” he told the media on Friday.
