In the world of table tennis, India has witnessed a significant shift in rankings. Sreeja Akula, a 25-year-old paddler, has surpassed Manika Batra to become India’s highest-ranked women’s singles player. This achievement marks a new chapter in Indian table tennis, highlighting the country’s growing prowess in the sport.
Sreeja moved up a place in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings to a career-best 38th spot in women’s singles. With this, she has become the highest-ranked Indian paddler in the world in women’s singles.
Manika Batra, the Khel Ratna awardee who has long been India’s flag bearer in women’s singles, now occupies the 39th spot. Batra slipped down two places in the recently released rankings and has 526 points. Akula, on the other hand, has 529 points.
Sreeja Akula’s rise to India’s top paddler
Akula’s journey to the top has been marked by several noteworthy achievements. She secured her maiden international title at the WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 in Texas, USA. In this tournament, she defeated USA’s Lily Zhang 3-0 (11-6, 18-17, 11-5) in the final. This victory was a significant milestone in her career, marking her arrival on the international stage.
Following her success in Texas, Akula continued her winning streak, securing a quarterfinal finish at WTT Star Contender Goa. Her campaign came to an end against China’s Cheng I-Ching, who beat her 3-1 (5-11, 11-7, 6-11, 4-11). Despite the loss, Akula’s performance was commendable, and it further solidified her position in the world rankings.
However, Akula’s journey has not been without challenges. She failed to go through to the knockout rounds of the ITTF World Cup 2024 held in Macao, China. She suffered a defeat over World No. 4 Chen Meng from China. Despite this setback, Akula gained a significant 40 ranking points, which helped her overtake Manika Batra to become India’s latest no.1.
Born in Hyderabad, Telangana, in 1998, Sreeja Akula has amassed a remarkable array of accolades in her career so far. She secured the gold medal in women’s doubles and team events at the South Asian Games 2019. Additionally, she clinched a gold medal in mixed doubles alongside Sharath Kamal at the CWG 2022.
Sreeja Akula is India's no. 1 paddler now ⚡️
Sreeja is at WR 38 spot (Career Best) in latest World rankings, overtaking Manika Batra (WR 39) for the 1st time.
PS: Its World Table Tennis day 🙂 pic.twitter.com/AuFKx6sD81
— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) April 23, 2024
Sreeja Akula’s rapid rise in the world rankings not only highlights India’s growth in international table tennis but also serves as a source of inspiration for budding players nationwide to take up the sport. As she continues to make strides in her career, the future of Indian table tennis looks promising with Sreeja Akula leading the way.
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