Indian table tennis star Sreeja Akula has been ruled out of the upcoming season of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) due to a stress fracture. Sreeja, who along with world No. 25 Manika Batra created history by becoming the first Indian players to enter the round of 16 in individual events at the Paris Olympics, is currently the highest-ranked player in the country at the 22nd position.
The two-time national champion Sreeja was slated to play for Jaipur Patriots but in a statement released on Monday, the 26-year-old informed that she will need a recuperating period of six weeks.
“I am sorry to share that I have been diagnosed with a stress fracture and on my doctor’s advice, I will need to rest for six weeks, which unfortunately means (that) I will not be able to participate in the UTT,” she said.
Sreeja has been replaced by U-19 Youth National Champion Nithyashree Mani. The upcoming edition of the UTT will be held in Chennai from August 22 to September 7. In her recent campaign at the Paris Olympics, Sreeja Akula made significant strides. She entered the round of 32 with a clinical 4-0 win over Sweden’s Christina Kallberg, marking her debut in the Olympics. Her victory was notable, as she won all four sets convincingly, including a closely contested second set where she overcame a strong challenge from her opponent.
However, in the R16 competition, Sreeja faced world no. 1 Yingsha Sun of China. Despite leading in all her games, Sreeja was beaten 4-0 by the Chinese player.
Source Agencies
