The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has called its executive committee meeting on Saturday to discuss star player Manika Batra’s allegations of match-fixing against national coach Soumyadeep Roy.
After Manika’s allegation, in response to the TTFI’s showcause notice, that the national coach had asked her to throw a match during the Olympic qualifiers, the federation had asked Roy for a written response which he has submitted.
“The issue will be discussed in the virtual meeting and I will propose formation of an inquiry panel but the committee will take the final call,” TTFI secretary Arun Banerjee said on Thursday.
TTFI president Dushyant Chautala is expected to attend the meeting.
camp in Sonipat
On the ongoing national camp in Sonipat, Banerjee said most of the players have reported barring Manika. G Sathiyan, who had wanted to train in Poland instead, is also expected to reach in a day or two.
The federation recently made camp attendance compulsory for players to be eligible for big events, including the Asian Championships in Doha later this month.
Sutirtha Mukherjee, who did not report to Sonipat at the start of the camp, has also reached after recovering from fever, said Banerjee. “The rules are pretty clear. You have to attend the camp to be eligible for selection,” he said.