NEW DELHI, June 24: Rejecting suggestions that she is seeking preferential treatment, star Indian table tennis player Manika Batra on Wednesday threatened to take legal action if she is not provided a “factual explanation” for the “arbitrary decision” to omit her from the Asian Games.
Manika once again sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s intervention in the matter, asserting that she “deserves transparency, consistency, and accountability in the selection process.” Manika was left out of the Asiad for failing to meet the selection criteria of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) that demanded participation in national events.
“Over the last few days, I have seen many people say that I am seeking a place in the Asian Games team or that I am asking for special consideration. Let me state this clearly. I am not asking to be selected. I am not asking anyone to overturn the decision. I am asking for answers,” she said in a fresh statement.
“I sincerely hope that a clear and factual explanation is provided. However, if I do not receive satisfactory answers regarding the basis of this decision, I will be left with no option but to explore all remedies available to me, including legal recourse through my legal team,” she warned.The former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist and two-time Olympian said the TTFI has not communicated the specific reason for her omission.
“I am currently World No. 51. Rankings in table tennis are updated every week and operate on a rolling points system. That naturally raises important questions. What time-line was considered while evaluating rankings? Was the assessment based on the previous 12 month, six months, the previous two months, or a single weekly ranking snapshot?” she asked.Responding to criticism of her non-appearance at national level events, Manika said her busy international calendar should have been taken into account by TTFI.
“I have immense respect for national events and have always been proud to compete in them. But athletes competing regularly on the international circuit often have to manage an intense global calendar, recovery periods, travel, visa processing and preparation for major events.Describing her international performances this season as strong, Manika said her victories against top Asian players and highly-rated Chinese opponents on the World Table Tennis circuit should have been considered when evaluation was being done by the selection committee. Manika questioned the credentials of the TTFI selection committee. The federation has not revealed its composition on the official website.
“…athletes have a right to know who is making these decisions and what qualifications or experience they bring to the selection process. How many members of the Selection Committee have represented India internationally?” she said.
“How many have competed at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, or at the highest levels of table tennis? If a vote was taken against me, what were the reasons behind those votes? Were they based on documented performance criteria, or on subjective opinions?” (PTI)
