India's star paddler Manika Batra has questioned her exclusion from the main squad for the 2026 Asian Games, despite being India's second-highest-ranked women's singles player internationally. Named as a reserve by TTFI, Batra sought transparency in the selection process, alleging inconsistency in applying selection criteria and urging authorities to review the decision.

New Delhi: India's leading table tennis player Manika Batra has publicly questioned her omission from the country's main squad for the Asian Games 2026, expressing disappointment over the selection process and has called for greater transparency.

Disappointment over omission
The 31-year-old Olympian was named among the reserves when the Table Tennis Federation of India announced a 10-member contingent for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday.

A day later, Batra voiced her concerns over the decision and wrote on X, "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," she added.