Both the Indian men's and women's table tennis teams secured berths for the Olympics for the first time ever, based on their world rankings. Following the conclusion of the World Team Championships Finals in Busan last month, seven spots in the team events remained, allocated to teams based on their rankings.
"The highest-ranked teams not yet qualified in the latest World Team Ranking booked their ticket to Paris 2024," stated the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). In the women's event, India, ranked 13th, along with Poland (12th), Sweden (15th), and Thailand, have secured their passage to Paris. Similarly, in the men's event, Croatia (12th), India (15th), and Slovenia (11th) clinched their spots.
Veteran player Sharath Kamal expressed his elation on Twitter, writing, "Finally!!!! India qualifies for the team event at the Olympics! Something I have wanted for a long long time! This one is truly special, despite it being my fifth appearance at the Olympics! Kudos to our Women's Team who also secure a historical quota!"
This achievement marks a significant milestone in Indian table tennis history, as it will be the first time the nation competes in the team event at the Olympics since its inception at the Beijing 2008 Games. Both Indian teams had previously missed Olympic berths at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals after exiting in the pre-quarterfinals. The men's team, led by veteran Sharath, suffered a 0-3 defeat against South Korea, while the women's team, captained by Manika Batra, lost 1-3 to Chinese Taipei.