Rising Indian table tennis player Syndrela Das has been included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) ahead of the 2026 Asian Games, providing another boost to the 17-year-old’s rapidly developing career.
Syndrela has been added alongside fellow table tennis players Payas Jain and Ankur Bhattacharjee, who compete together in men’s doubles. She has earned a place in the TOPS Development category following a series of impressive performances at the junior level.
Her recent results at the Asian Youth Championships in Thailand strengthened her case for inclusion. Syndrela won silver in the Girls’ Doubles event and also secured a bronze medal in the Girls’ Singles competition earlier this year.
The teenager has been making steady progress through India’s table tennis system over the past few years. In 2023, she claimed three National Ranking age-group titles, winning the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 singles competitions.
She subsequently made the transition to the senior national level in 2025 as she continued her rise in the sport.
Syndrela was already on the TOPS radar before her latest inclusion. She had previously been part of a focused group established specifically for table tennis players between the ages of 14 and 17, aimed at supporting promising young talent.
Her latest selection comes as India prepares its table tennis contingent for the 2026 Asian Games.
Syndrela is part of India’s 10-member squad for the continental event. The women’s contingent also features Sreeja Akula, Diya Chitale, Yashaswini Ghorpade and Sutirtha Mukherjee.
Sathiyan, Manush Shah, Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai and Payas Jain complete the Indian squad.
Meanwhile, leading Indian table tennis player Manika Batra has received approval for financial assistance from the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC).
The funding will support Batra’s participation in WTT Contender tournaments scheduled to take place in Bulgaria and Kazakhstan in September.
For Syndrela, inclusion in the TOPS Development category marks another significant step after her success at national and continental youth competitions. With the teenager also included in India’s Asian Games squad, she will now have an opportunity to continue her progression on one of the biggest stages in Asian sport.
