BY ALUOLA ENDURANCE IROBEKHIEN
The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games champion Sharath Achanta will lead a strong Indian contingent to the 2024 WTT Contender Lagos taking place at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The 41-year-old is the first Indian table tennis player ever to become a 10-time Indian national champion hence breaking the record of eight-time national champion Kamlesh Mehta.
Considered one of the most flamboyant Indian athletes, Achanta is eagerly looking forward to the tournament as part of their preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The highest-ranked Indian male player in the world rated 40th was in 2019 awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award while in 2022, he was awarded the Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour will be joined on the Lagos trip by 2023 WTT Contender Lagos semifinalist Harmeet Desai as well as Manav Thakkar and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the men’s singles.
The women’s squad will be spearheaded by long-pimple Manika Batra, the top female table tennis player in India and ranked 24 in the world and she will also have her compatriot,
Sreeja Akula is also an integral member of the Indian team that qualified for the Olympic games at the 2024 World Team Championships in Busan, South Korea. Akula, who is a familiar face in Lagos will have compatriots like Yashaswini Ghorpade, Archana Kamath, and Sutirtha Mukherjee heading to the commercial nerve centre for a podium finish.
It is all about the title defence for South Korean Shin Yubin, having topped the podium in 2023, Yubin spearheads the lineup in this year’s edition.
Lagos was one of two WTT Series wins for World No. 7 in 2023, and with her 2024 account currently empty, history repeating in Nigeria will be just what the Korean is yearning for but India’s Batra could pose the biggest threat to Yubin’s title defence in Lagos.
like Batra, Akula is in red-hot form, already claiming two WTT Feeder Series events this year, and the chance to make a rapid graduation and claim a WTT Series title will not be squandered by World No. 41 as she looks to continue her rise in the global ladder.
Lagos offers a rich cultural scene, with opportunities to explore the National Museum, visit the iconic Eko Atlantic City, and enjoy the lively nightlife of Victoria Island. For outdoor enthusiasts, the nearby beaches of Tarkwa Bay Beach and Lekki Conservation Centre provide a relaxing escape from the city’s bustle.
Indulge in the local cuisine, a flavourful fusion of African and international influences, and soak up the rhythm and energy of the Lagos community.
WTT Contender Lagos 2024 offers up a total prize pool of $80,000 as well as 400 ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking Points for the champions.
