India Starts 2036 Olympics Push Early: TOPS Lowers Entry Age To 13 For Table Tennis
India Starts 2036 Olympics Push Early: TOPS Lowers Entry Age To 13 For Table Tennis Published By, Last Updated: June 11, 2026, 15:38 IST India
India Starts 2036 Olympics Push Early: TOPS Lowers Entry Age To 13 For Table Tennis Published By, Last Updated: June 11, 2026, 15:38 IST India has lowered the TOPS induction age for table tennis players from 17 to 13, aiming to build a stronger pipeline for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics. Rapid Read Table Tennis Representational Image (Credit: iStock) India has taken a significant step toward building its next generation of table tennis stars, with the Sports Ministry lowering the age of induction into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) from 17 to 13 years. The policy shift is designed to strengthen India’s talent pipeline ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad and the country’s ambitious push to host the 2036 Olympic Games. The move has already resulted in the inclusion of two 13-year-old prospects — Rishaan Chattopadhayay and Tanishka Kalbhairav — in the TOPS Developmental Group. Rishaan recently won the U-15 boys’ doubles gold medal at the WTT Youth Star Contender in Doha, while Tanishka grabbed attention after winning the under-11 title at the World Table Tennis Youth Contender in 2023.
They are joined by eight other young players: Akash Rajavelu (15), Aditya Das (15), Ankolika Chakraborty (14), Naisha Rewaskar (15), Ananya Muralidharan (17), Divyanshi Bhowmick (15), Prisha Goel (17), and Syndrela Das (16). Under the revised criteria, players ranked among the top 32 in U-15 and U-17 singles, and the top 16 in U-15 and U-17 doubles in the ITTF Youth Rankings, will be eligible for induction. “The objective is to create a continuous pathway from junior development to Olympic preparation," a Sports Authority of India (SAI) official said. Learning From Asia’s Best The decision follows extensive research by SAI, which studied successful table tennis systems in China, Japan and South Korea — countries where world-class players often emerge in their early teens. According to SAI’s findings, the period between ages 12 and 16 is among the most critical stages in a table tennis player’s development. “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," the research concluded.
One key example was Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, who won a World Tour Under-21 title at just 12 and became junior world champion at 13 before eventually rising to World No. 2 and winning Olympic bronze. SAI believes India possesses similar talent but has lacked a structured system during those formative years. Sharath Kamal Backs Move Indian table tennis legend and IOA Athletes’ Commission member A Sharath Kamal believes the policy could be transformative. “Asian players are best in the world by 19 to 20 years of age. If we are able to focus on our youngsters early, then we will be able to have a transition that is smooth," 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 13, you have a much wider talent base with the potential to succeed." (with PTI inputs) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Siddarth Sriram After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas.
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