Manika Batra says TTFI didn`t take action against coach despite reporting `match-fixing` offer

TTFI had issued a showcause notice against Manika Batra after she refused to take the national coach`s help at the courtside during the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics.

Days after labeling 'match-fixing' allegations against national coach Soumyadeep Roy, India's ace paddler Manika Batra on Sunday stated that she had reported the matter to the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) 'promptly' but no action was initiated against it. 

The governing body had issued a showcause notice against Batra after she refused to take Roy's help at the courtside during the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics.

In response, the table tennis player, who recently won the mixed doubles title at WTT Contender in Budapest, stated that the national coach had asked her to fix a match in Doha. The paddler also said that she had "promptly" reported the matter to TTFI, which did not take any action, adding it was also the reason behind her not opting for Roy's help in Tokyo.

"I just wish to say it's clearly stated in my written reply to the notice and letter to TTFI that I had reported about the matter to them long back (in March). I don't know why the false claim is made now of me not reporting it for five months. My reply to the notice clearly claims of my prompt reporting of it," Batra told PTI. 

Meanwhile, the national federation secretary Arun Banerjee has questioned the timing of Batra's allegations against Roy and has also asked the coach to present his side of the story in a written reply.

"From my side, I did not promise to oblige him and promptly reported this matter to a TTFI official. I decided not to obey the unethical command of the national coach. I have been falsely charged with 'bringing disrepute to the country by the sight of an empty chair of the coach'." 

"But the truth is that the 'empty chair' was the result of the national coach's pressure tactics for match fixing and TTFI's inaction to act on my prompt reporting of that incident and not the result of my so called indiscipline," Manika had stated in her response to the notice.

Manika is not likely to take part in the national camp underway in Sonepat ahead of the Asian Championships, scheduled to be held later this month. However, TTFI has made it clear that any player missing the camp will not be considered for national selection.

Her partner in WTT Contender, G Sathiyan, is set to join the camp on September 10 or 11.