ITTF Rankings: Manav Thakkar climbs to top position in U-21 category

Indian table tennis player Manav Thakkar has climbed to the top spot in the latest  International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings for the Under-21 men's singles category released on Friday. 

The young paddler's upward move in the rankings came after he clinched a title at the ITTF Challenge Plus Benemax-Virgo North American Open in Markham, Canada in December last year. He is currently occupying the top spot with a total of 6,780 points.

Thakkar has now also become only the fourth player from his country to achieve the feat after Harmeet Desai, G Sathiyan and Soumyajit Ghosh. The Indian tennis player, who was also ranked world number one in the Under-18 category in February 2018, was also a part of the team that clinched a bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. 

Besides Thakkar, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran has retained his 30th spot in the ITTF rankings in men's senior category, while Achanta Sharath Kamal has moved up to the 33rd position. 

In the women's category, Asian Games bronze-medallist Manika Batra continues to stand at the 61st spot, which was also her position at the end of the last year.