Sreeja Akula, India’s top-ranked paddler in the world at No. 41, will not play the World Table Tennis Star Contender to be held at the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University campus here from February 10 to 15, due to right shoulder pain.
Speaking to The Hindu from Hyderabad on Tuesday, the 27-year-old said she wanted to play in Chennai, but didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure on her shoulder. “I didn’t want to be too harsh on my shoulder. I want it to heal gradually,” she said.
Sreeja last played the China Smash in Beijing during September-October 2025, where she lost in the second round to China’s Wang Yidi, after which she started to experience pain.
“I just started practicing a few days back. I am not using my forehand for training. I plan to get back to action with the Singapore Smash from February 19 to March 1,” she said.
Published – January 27, 2026 08:26 pm IST
