Harmeet Desai gutted over non-selection from men's singles event in Asian Games 2023

Senior India Table Tennis player Harmeet Desai expressed disappointment over being overlooked for the Men’s singles event in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Although the Surat-born paddler has been picked in the 10-member Indian contingent for the postponed Asian Games, he will only participate in the team and mixed doubles event. The 10-time national champion Achantha Sharath Kamal and World No.88 Gnanasekaran Sathiyan have been allocated the two slots for the Men’s singles event.

Harmeet is currently ranked 64 in the ITTF Table Tennis World Rankings for Men’s singles, which is the best by an Indian player at the moment. He also holds the No.1 ranking spot in the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) rankings. Speaking on not getting picked for the Men’s singles event, Harmeet Desai told news agency PTI:

"It is going to be my third Asian Games and as per the selection criteria, which includes both domestic and international performances, I should be playing singles as well and not just team and doubles.”

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TTFI says the selection was unanimous after Harmeet Desai's disappointment

It should be noted that on the day (June 27) when India’s Asian Games squad was announced, Harmeet Desai was ranked 71 in the ITTF rankings behind Sharath Kamal (54) and Sathiyan (60).

According to the selection criteria of TTFI, 50% weightage is given to domestic performances, 40% to international and 10% for selectors’ discretion. TTFI president Kamlesh Mehta said the selection decisions were taken unanimously based on the international rankings of the players at that point.

“It was a unanimous call taken by the selectors who factored in the world rankings at the time of selection,” Mehta said.

Harmeet saw an upshift in his international rankings after he made it to the semifinals of the WTT Contender in Lagos and the pre-quarterfinals of the WTT Contender in Tunis. Harmeet, Sharath, and Sathiyan were part of India’s historic bronze medal campaign in the team’s event in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. This was the maiden medal for the Indian contingent in Table Tennis.