Syndrela Das, Payas Jain included in TOPS Development Scheme ahead of Asian Games

New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) Rising Indian table tennis players Syndrela Das and Payas Jain have been included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Development Scheme, strengthening the country’s focus on nurturing young talent ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics.

Seventeen-year-old Syndrela, who hails from Kolkata, earned her place in the development programme following a string of impressive performances on the international stage.

The teenager won a silver medal in the Girls’ Doubles event and a bronze in the Girls’ Singles competition at the Asian Youth Championships in Thailand earlier this year.

Syndrela had also enjoyed a highly successful 2023 season, when she won National Ranking age-group titles in the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 singles categories. She subsequently made the transition to the senior national circuit in 2025.

Earlier this year, TOPS had created a dedicated group for young table tennis players in the 14-17 age bracket as part of an effort to build India’s bench strength for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympic Games.

Syndrela was part of that group and has now been included in the TOPS Development Scheme on the back of her recent performances.

She joins fellow Indian table tennis players Payas Jain and Ankur Bhattacharjee in the scheme. Payas and Ankur are also set to form India’s men’s doubles combination.

Syndrela has also earned selection in India’s 10-member squad for the 2026 Asian Games. The women’s team comprises Sreeja Akula, Diya Chitale, Yashaswini Ghorpade, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Syndrela.

The men’s squad features Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manush Shah, Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai and Payas Jain.

Meanwhile, India’s top-ranked table tennis player Manika Batra has been approved for financial assistance by the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) to compete in WTT Contender tournaments in Bulgaria and Kazakhstan in September.

–IANS

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