The Indian men’s table tennis team entered the top 10 in the latest International Table Tennis Federation rankings list that was released on Monday.
India were placed above Austria (ranked 10th) despite being level on 272 points while China continued to top the standings with 290 points. Japan remain second with 288 points followed by Germany who occupy the third spot with 286 points.
This comes after the Indian men’s team logged their best ever result at ITTF Asian Table Tennis Championships, finishing fifth after beating Hong Kong 3-0 in the classification match of the tournament. The Indian men had also secured a quarter-final spot in the Champions Division this year, ensuring they continue at the top as the top-six finishers gain direct entry in the next Championships, two years hence.
Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team are ranked 21 with 206 points and remain 42 points behind table-toppers China.
Earlier this year, G Sathiyan became the highest-ranked Indian table tennis player after he rose to 28 in the ITTF rankings. Asian Games gold medalist Manika Batra also became the first Indian woman to break into the top-50 in the rankings. Sathiyan and Sharath Kamal are currently ranked 30th and 36th respectively while Batra is placed 61st in the world.
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