Rejecting talk of special treatment, Indian table tennis player Manika Batra on Wednesday (June 23) threatened to take legal action if a ‘proper explanation’ is not given for the ‘arbitrary decision’ of excluding her from the Asian Games. Manika once again appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to intervene in this matter and said that she ‘deserves transparency, continuity and accountability in the selection process.’
I just want answers – Manika
Manika was dropped from the Asian Games for not meeting the selection criteria of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). Participation in national competitions was mandatory for selection for the Asian Games.
Manika said in a statement, ‘In the last few days, I have heard many people saying that I am trying to get a place in the Asian Games team and requesting for special concessions. I want to make this clear. I am not pleading for selection. I am not appealing to anyone to reverse the decision. I am just asking for answers.
He further said, ‘I fully expect that I will be given a clear and factual explanation. If I do not get a satisfactory answer as to the reason for my exclusion from the team, I also have the option of taking legal action.
Also read: FIFA World Cup: Colombia reaches knockout, which teams have qualified so far?
Manika eliminated on the basis of ranking?
Former Commonwealth Games gold medalist and two-time Olympian Manika said that the TTFI has not given any concrete reason for keeping her out of the team. He said, ‘I am currently at 51st place in the world ranking. Rankings in table tennis are updated every week. This naturally raises some important questions. What time period was considered while evaluating the rankings? Was the assessment based on rankings for the last 12 months, six months, last two months or just one week?’
He said, ‘If a player who has been consistently in the top-50 slips from 50th to 51st in a week or two, does that suddenly make him ineligible? These are questions that deserve clear answers.
Also read: Ronaldo played in one match and changed the history of FIFA World Cup, these records were made
Questions raised on selection committee
Regarding not participating in the national competitions, Manika said that TTFI should have taken into consideration her busy international schedule. Manika also raised questions on the credibility of the TTFI Selection Committee. The federation has not disclosed the committee on its official website. He said, ‘Players have the right to know who is taking decisions and what their qualifications are. How many members of the selection committee have represented India at the international level?
Comments are closed.