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In spite of best-ever show at Olympics, Manika Batra faces TTFI action for ‘brazen act of indiscipline’ Agencies
New Delhi: She reached the third round of the women’s singles in table tennis at the Tokyo Olympics. It is the best ever show ever achieved by an Indian woman at the Olympics. However, Manika Batra now faces punishment for her ‘brazen act of indiscipline’. Manika Batra’s decision to not take the help of national coach Soumyadeep Roy during her matches at the Tokyo Olympics has not gone down well with the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). She will certainly face action when it’s the TTFI executive board meets early next month.
Mind, body and soul: How Sharath Kamal made his fourth Olympics at 39
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Soumyadeep Roy: This is India s best table tennis contingent at an Olympics (3:11)
India s Chief National Coach spoke to ESPN.in about their medal hopes and life at the Olympic village (3:11) How the hell am I going to make a 38-year-old body last one more year?
Sharath Kamal railed inwardly, when news of the Olympic Games postponement first broke last March. Only a few days ago then, he had won his first pro tour title in a decade and was limbering toward peak form. Suddenly, everything had come crashing down.
Sharath Kamal (Reuters Photo)
A 39-year-old Sharath Kamal hasn’t ruled out a return to Olympics in 2024. But even if he doesn’t, the Indian great will remember his Olympics swansong as one of his best-ever performances. It wasn’t enough to stop the legendary Ma Long in the third round at Tokyo, but that takes nothing away from the brilliant fight that the Chennai paddler put up, especially in the first three games.
Tied 1-1 and the third game going into tie-breaker, Ma Long was feeling the pressure so much that he chose to take a time-out with a game-point in his kitty. Even the Chinese master knew if he did not win that game, things could go really tricky against an inspired Sharath who was going all guns blazing right from the word go.