Asian Table Tennis Championships | India’s target is to change the medal colour, says Sourav Chakraborty

The Indian men’s squad has already scripted a hat-trick of bronze medals astatine the Asian Table Tennis Championships, portion the women opened their relationship with a podium decorativeness successful the erstwhile edition. As the continental lawsuit returns to location soil, manager Sourav Chakraborty is hopeful of not conscionable a repetition — but an upgrade.

“Last clip we had 2 bronze medals successful the men’s and women’s squad events, truthful the people is to alteration the medal colour,” Sourav told The Hindu connected Friday.

“It is precise overmuch imaginable due to the fact that our players are successful precise bully shape. I americium precise assured that the teams volition truly bash well. The gully is good. We person a truly bully accidental to spell further.”

The left-handed duo of Sourav and Sachin Shetty person been assisting caput manager Massimo Costantini successful India’s bid to consolidate its spot among the top-four teams successful Asia — a continent that continues to predominate the planetary array tennis landscape.

While Sourav expects Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar to emergence to the juncture successful the men’s event, helium admitted that the women’s squad volition consciousness the lack of Sreeja Akula (ruled retired with a enarthrosis injury).

“It is precise unfortunate. We consciousness precise atrocious for her, of course. I privation her a speedy betterment truthful that she tin travel backmost precise soon and articulation the team. But we person a elder similar Manika (Batra) with an exuberance of youth, and it’s a fantastic combination.”

India squads: Men: Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, Ankur Bhattacharjee, Payas Jain, SFR Snehit.

Women: Manika Batra, Diya Chitale, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Sutirtha Mukherjee.