Paddlers’ Paris trip confirmed, qualify for team events for 1st time

New Delhi, March 4 (Punjab khabarnama):The Indian men’s and women’s teams have scripted history by qualifying for the Olympics based on their world rankings.
After the conclusion of the World Team Championships in Busan last month, which served as the last qualifying event for the Paris Olympics, seven spots in the team events remained. The remaining spots have been awarded to sides based on their rankings.
While the women’s team is ranked No. 13, the men are No. 15 in the world. “Finally!!!! India qualifies for the team event at the Olympics! Something I have wanted for a long long time! This one is truly special, despite it being my fifth appearance at the Olympics!” veteran Sharath Kamal posted online.This marks a significant milestone for Indian table tennis as it will be the first time the nation competes in the team events at the Olympics since its inception at the 2008 Games.The men and women are expected to train across Asia and Europe. “The preparation will involve both training and competition and the players could have a camp in China and South Korea before shifting their base to Europe closer to the Olympics,” a TTFI official added.