Sharath Kamal, G Sathiyan stand great chance at Asian Qualifiers to secure Tokyo Olympics berths

Paddlers Achanta Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan stand a great chance to represent India at the Tokyo Olympics starting July 23. Although their performances in the WTT Contender series in Doha weren’t up to the mark, Kamal and Sathiyan’s world rankings will play a crucial role in their qualification.

They have two back-to-back events to do so. First up are the World Qualifiers, which get underway on March 14. Provided the Indians falter at the Worlds, the star paddlers have a backup in the Asian qualification event starting March 18, also in Doha.

With two entries allotted per National Olympic Committee (NOC) at the Tokyo Olympics, every paddler needs to secure a well-deserved path. If one of the Indians qualifies for the Tokyo Olympics from the Worlds - which is going to be tough - the other can do from the Asian meet.

After a long drawn 11 month break, very happy to come back & play intl. tournaments of this level. Didn’t know what to expect when the tournaments started but glad to maintain the level from where I left off. Half done here as World Oly and Asian Oly Qualifications coming up. pic.twitter.com/Vpuz8h0bbi

— Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) March 11, 2021

Road to Tokyo Olympics for Sharath Kamal, G Sathiyan

In any case, if none of the Indians able to make a mark at the world event, the Asian qualifiers serve as a perfect platform for Kamal and Sathiyan to shine.

As the top Asian paddlers have already booked their spots at the Tokyo Olympics through the Team Championship held in Portugal last year, the Indian duo hold the edge of being higher-ranked Asians in contention.

The only competition that the Indians could face is from Kazakh Kirill Gerassimenko (46) and Noshad Alamiyan (73) of Iran. Incidentally, Kamal beat Alamiyan in the 2016 Asian qualification event to book his Rio Games berth. Kamal is currently ranked 32nd while Sathiyan is placed at the 37th spot.

G Sathiyan has defeated Sharath Kamal during the final of 2021 TT Nationals

Six spots are up for grabs from the March 18-20 event. Sathiyan and Sharath must have it easy. As per rules, the players will be divided according to their respective regions – Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. The group winners will directly qualify for Tokyo Olympics. The final spot will go to the best-ranked player in the ITTF Olympic Qualification Ranking Lists in April. India is likely to face Pakistan in the event.

Sharath and Sathiyan will be placed in the South Asia group with the third competitor being Pakistan’s Rameez Muhammad, who is ranked 690.

Good point against Harimoto Tomokazu💪💪Credits : WTT@ittfworld #sathiyantt #tabletennis #wtt #sports #wttdoha #worldtabletennis pic.twitter.com/hRFKztRI5W

— Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (@sathiyantt) March 11, 2021

Hopes rest on Manika Batra, Sutirtha Mukherjee in women's event

In the women’s category, India’s hopes rest on Manika Batra and Sutirtha Mukherjee for the Tokyo Olympics. While Batra is placed 63rd, Mukherjee is currently sitting in 95th spot. Thailand’s Suthasini Sawettabut (40th) is the highest-ranked Asian in the women’s draw.

In line with the men’s qualifucation, six spots will be on offer at the women's event and both Batra and Mukherjee will have to bring out their A games to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The qualification process is the same as their male counterparts.

The third chance for the Indians to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics is through the mixed doubles event in the Asian qualifiers. With already seven spots booked, the onus will be on Kamal and Batra to lift the Indian flag higher.

If everything goes well, the 18th ranked Kamal-Batra duo could face the world No.5 Korean pair of Jeon Ji-hee and Lee Sang-su in the summit clash. The Indian duo will be the first to represent the country at the Tokyo Olympics provided they qualify.

The WTT Contender series didn’t provide with the desired results but back-to-back tournaments provide the Indians with the perfect international preparation. Hopefully they won’t disappoint.