Indian TT teams handed easy draws for CWG

Both the men's and women's table tennis teams of India were on Saturday handed easy draws for the Commonwealth Games commencing in New Delhi on Sunday.

The defending champions, India's men's team, have been seeded second. They are clubbed with easy opponents such as Guyana, Vanuatu and Dominica in Group B.

Olympian Achanta Sharath Kamal and compatriots should not find it tough to enter the next stage of the men's team event which has total 26 contenders, with Singapore as the top seed.

Meanwhile, Indian eves will have to fight it out against New Zealand, but they are expected to dominate the proceedings against other two members of Group D - Sri Lanka and Ghana.

The women's team is seeded fourth among 16 nations participating in the quadrennial sporting extravaganza, after Singapore, England and Australia.

The Indian women had clinched the bronze medal at the Melbourne Games four years ago.

"It is an easy draw for our men's team and they should not face much trouble in the initial part of the competition," Bhawani Mukherjee, chief SAI coach for table tennis, said.

"In women's section, it would be a good match against New Zealand, but other opponents should not give us much trouble," added Mukherjee, who is in charge of the Indian squad.

The ping pong event will begin from October 4 at the Yamuna Sports Complex.