Bhubaneswar gears up for Asian Table Tennis Championships from October 11

The first wave of teams has already begun, bringing with it a quiet but intense air of preparation

Hyderabad: The capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, is coming alive with the arrival of Asia’s finest paddlers as the city gears up to host the 28th ITTF-ATTU Asian Table Tennis Championships from October 11 at the Kalinga Stadium Indoor Athletics Centre.

The first wave of teams has already begun, bringing with it a quiet but intense air of preparation.

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Leading the arrivals was the 17-member Indian contingent, the first to check into its hotel on Tuesday evening. Manav Thakkar spearheads India’s men’s squad, currently ranked No. 48 in the world in men’s singles, while the women’s team is anchored by Manika Batra, sitting inside the top 50 at No. 46 and eager to make an impact on home soil.

Soon after, the Japanese squad—a strong 27-member delegation—arrived in the city, headlined by their talisman Tomokazu Harimoto, who remains one of the most feared names in global table tennis as the current world No. 4 in men’s singles. They were closely followed by the always-dangerous South Korean and Hong Kong teams, as well as a competitive unit from Iran.

The powerhouse Chinese squad—expected to arrive tomorrow morning—will bring an unmatched pedigree, led by Wang Chuqin, the world No. 1 men’s singles player, and Lin Shidong, who sits at No. 2. In the women’s field, China’s dominance is underlined by Sun Yingsha, the reigning world No. 2 and a perennial title contender. The remaining national teams are due to check in by tomorrow evening, just ahead of the official draw on October 10, which eventually will map out the road to the finals.

Meanwhile, organisers are finalising the finishing touches on the competition setup. All the playing equipment—including the championship-grade flooring specially flown in from China—has arrived, and technicians are completing its installation to ensure it meets international standards. Starting tomorrow, 13 practice and warm-up tables will be available as teams move from travel recovery to full match preparation, fine-tuning strategies, and getting accustomed to the playing conditions.