India Lowers Table Tennis Induction Age to 13 for 2036 Olympics and 2030 CWG

New Delhi, The age of induction for table tennis players in the Sports Ministry's flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme has been lowered from 17 to 13 in a major policy change to build India's bench strength for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics.Following the decision, two 13-year-olds Rishaan Chattopadhayay and Tanishka Kalbhairav have been already included in the TOPS Developmental Group.Rishaan won the U-15 Boys' doubles gold medal at the WTT Youth Star Contender in Doha earlier this year, while Tanishka made waves when she won the World Table Tennis Youth Contender tournament's under-11 competition in 2023.The other eight inductees following the policy change are Akash Rajavelu , Aditya Das , Ankolika Chakraborty , Naisha Rewaskar , Ananya Muralidharan , Divyanshi Bhowmick , Prisha Goel and Syndrela Das .The eligibility criteria for athletes' induction includes ITTF Youth Rankings.The top 32 in U-15 and U-17 singles, and the top 16 in U-15 and U-17 doubles events would be eligible for inclusion going forward."The objective is to create a continuous pathway from junior development to Olympic preparation," said a Sports Authority of India official.The 2030 CWG will be held in Ahmedabad, which is also in the race to host the 2036 Olympic Games as part of India's aggressive push towards becoming a global sports hub. Athletes in TOPS developmental group are entitled to a monthly allowance, international training and nutrition support among other benefits.The Far East inspiration================SAI, which is the nodal body for training operations and support staff induction in Indian sports, carried out research work on the benefits of on-boarding younger players in TT. Other sports could also be considered for lowering of age after due deliberations going forward.The body's inspiration were countries like Japan, South Korea and China, where pre-teens regularly make waves in the sport."...the inference has been that the learning curve between the ages of 12 and 16 is one of the most important phases in an athlete's development," read the conclusions that were drawn by SAI's research team."Unlike many Olympic sports where athletes peak in their mid-to-late 20s, table tennis rewards early technical mastery, rapid decision-making, reaction speed and intensive exposure during adolescence."Among the case studies highlighted was Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, who became the youngest ever player to win the ITTF World Tour Under-21 men's singles in 2016 by snaring the top honours at just 12 years of age. A year later, he became the youngest men's junior world champion at 13.Harimoto, who took to the racquet sport at two years of age, is 22 now, ranked number two in the world, won the WTT Cup finals last year and became an Olympic bronze-medallist in the team competition during the 2021 Tokyo Games."He won a World Junior title at 14, and reached the Olympics at 16. The policychange decision was based upon the fact that India has comparable talent but lacks a dedicated system during those crucial developmental years," the SAI stated, highlighting the targetted support that Harimoto received in his country to flourish.SAI's plan for prodigal talent management is built around the sport's High Performance Director .The HPD will be responsible for designing annual training plans, coordinating with personal coaches, monitoring athlete development, and helping athletes develop tactical and decision-making skills at an age when learning and adaptation occur most rapidly.Performance data of the players would be reviewed quarterly and the HPD will also coordinate with personal coaches to ensure that the young athletes are at ease during a massive transition, both physically and psychologically.'Step in right direction'===============One of India's greatest table tennis players of all time, A Sharath Kamal, who is currently a member of the Indian Olympic Association's athletes' commission, said the policy change has the potential to make lasting impact."Asian players are best in the world by 19 to 20 years of the age. If we are able to focus on our youngsters early, then we will be able to have a transition that is smooth. Many times what happens is when they are turning 17, they are already a bit lost," he said."If we are able to give them direction at a younger age, it will be easier for them to flow into the next level internationally. At the age of 18, the base is not very big but at the age of 13, you have a wider base who have the potential," he pointed out.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.