Tokyo Olympics: Paddler Manika Batra requests FOP access for personal coach
Jul 21, 2021
By Nitin Srivastava
Tokyo [Japan], July 21 : Two days prior to the start of the Tokyo Olympics, paddler Manika Batra has requested India's chef-de-mission BP Baishya to allow the field of play (FOP) access for her personal coach Sanmay Paranjape.
The table tennis competition at the Olympics is slated to start on July 24. Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) secretary Arun Banerjee confirmed that Batra has indeed requested access for her personal coach.
"Yes, she has made the request, as of now I don't know whether her personal coach will be given FOP access or not but she has requested the Indian chef de mission," Banerjee told ANI.
Prior to departing for Tokyo, Batra had said that she will try to give her best in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics beginning July 23.
The first batch of India's Olympic-bound athletes departed for Tokyo on July 17.
"I am very happy that I have qualified for the Olympics. It is a very big thing to represent the country, I will give my best in both doubles and singles event," Manika told ANI before departing for Tokyo.
Earlier, paddler Sharath Kamal said that this is the best table tennis contingent that India has ever sent to the Games.
"After a wait of one year with a lot of uncertainties, here we are going into the Tokyo Olympics. Hopefully, this is India's best Olympic Games we've done so far. With regards to table tennis, it's the strongest team. Hopefully, we come back with some medals," Kamal told ANI.
A total of 127 athletes across 18 sports disciplines from India will be heading to Tokyo. This is the biggest-ever contingent India is sending to any Olympics. The 69 cumulative events across the 18 sport disciplines that India will participate in are also the highest ever for the country.
