On Monday, the Indian men’s and women’s teams created history by earning their first Olympic qualification based on their world rankings. Seven spots in the team events remained after the World Team Championships Finals in Busan, which acted as the last Olympic qualifying event for Paris 2024. These spots were assigned based on rankings.
According to the ITTF, the highest-ranked teams that have not yet qualified in the latest World Team Ranking secured their tickets to Paris 2024. In the women’s category, India (ranked 13), Poland (12), Sweden (15), and Thailand clinched their passage. Meanwhile, Croatia (12), India (15), and Slovenia (11) secured spots in the men’s team event.
Celebrating the achievement, veteran Sharath Kamal expressed his happiness on Twitter, emphasising the significance of this qualification, particularly for the women’s team, marking a historic milestone for Indian table tennis. This achievement marks India’s debut in the team event at the Olympics since its inception at the Beijing 2008 Games.
Notably, both Indian teams had missed Olympic berths at the ITTF World Team Championships Finals, facing defeats in the pre-quarterfinals. Despite previous setbacks, this qualification highlights India’s rising prominence in international table tennis.
