Table tennis: How Sreeja Akula transformed from a silent paddler to earn a spot in the Olympic team
As the 25-year-old paddler from Hyderabad prepares for her first Olympic appearance, coach Somnath Ghosh discusses her season so far and the plan for Paris.
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As Indian table tennis heads towards a new dawn, Sreeja Akula also marks an upward climb.
The 25-year-old from Hyderabad kicked off the 2024 season in impressive form. But in April, her ascent saw her achieve a significant milestone as she secured her career-best world ranking of No 38 in the International Table Tennis Federation’s women’s singles charts. It was a mark that briefly saw her overtake veteran Manika Batra as the highest ranked Indian women’s singles player.
The feat did not come without a share of some silverware.
In January, she won her first international tournament at the WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 in Texas, USA, where she triumphed over Lily Zhang of the United States in a commanding 3-0 victory (11-6, 18-17, 11-5) in the final. In March, she secured another title, at the WTT Feeder Beirut II.
“We are really happy [about the ranking], that’s what we always expected out of her,” said her coach Somnath Ghosh, a former national champion to Scroll. “Last year, she was placed somewhere out of 100, but her performances off-late have helped.
“Playing in the United States was a good decision. I think it was the turning point.”
Akula’s prowess was further showcased in February at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea where she delivered a...
