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{{Short description|Indian table-tennis player}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox table tennis player
| name = Sreeja Akula
| image = Sreeja Akula in 2022.jpeg
| alt =
| caption = Akula in 2022
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1998|7|31}}
| birth_place = [[Hyderabad]], India<ref>{{cite web|title=Akula Sreeja, the new queen of Indian table tennis|url=https://telanganatoday.com/akula-sreeja-the-new-queen-of-indian-table-tennis|publisher=Telangana Today|last=Krishan Gundra|first=Shiva|date=25 April 2022|access-date=25 April 2022|archive-date=25 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425211153/https://telanganatoday.com/akula-sreeja-the-new-queen-of-indian-table-tennis|url-status=live}}</ref>
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| years_active =
| known_for =
| spouse =
| notable_works =
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Women's [[table tennis]]}} [[File:Table tennis pictogram.svg|30px]]
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2022 Commonwealth Games|2022 Birmingham]] | [[Table tennis at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Mixed doubles|Mixed doubles]] }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Table Tennis Championships|Asian Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships|2024 Astana]]|[[2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships#Events|Women's team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[South Asian Games]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2019 South Asian Games|2019 Kathmandu–Pokhara]] | [[Table tennis at the 2019 South Asian Games|Women's doubles]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2019 South Asian Games|2019 Kathmandu–Pokhara]] | [[Table tennis at the 2019 South Asian Games|Women's team]] }}
| hrank = 22 (06 August 2024)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024_32_SEN_WS.html|title=ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking Women's Singles 2024 Week #32 - August 06|publisher=ITTF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807101932/https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024_32_SEN_WS.html |access-date=6 August 2024|archive-date=7 August 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>
|crank=57 (15 July 2025)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025_29_SEN_WS.html|title=Women's singles rankings Week #29 - July 15th|website=ittf.com|access-date=15 July 2025}}</ref>
|playingstyle=Right-handed, shakehand grip
}}
'''Sreeja Akula''' (born 31 July 1998) is an Indian [[table tennis]] player. She is a two-time Indian national champion. She is currently ranked India number one in women's singles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Subrahmanyam |first=V. V. |date=2024-01-02 |title=Sreeja shifts focus to Paris Olympics after ranking first in women's singles for the fourth consecutive year |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/table-tennis/sreeja-akula-paris-2024-olympics-womens-singles-ttfi-ranking-fourth-consecutive-year/article67698301.ece |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=Sportstar |language=en |archive-date=5 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305050221/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/table-tennis/sreeja-akula-paris-2024-olympics-womens-singles-ttfi-ranking-fourth-consecutive-year/article67698301.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> Akula received the [[Arjuna Award]] in 2022.

At the [[2022 Commonwealth Games]], Akula won the gold medal in the [[Table tennis at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Mixed doubles|mixed doubles]] event with [[Sharath Kamal]]. In June 2024, she became the first Indian to win a singles title at the [[World Table Tennis (ITTF)#WTT Contenders|WTT Contender]] level by clinching the top spot at WTT Contender Lagos.

She also became the second ever Indian paddler to reach the Pre-Quarterfinals in the Olympics at the Paris Olympics 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/olympics/story/paris-olympics-sreeja-akula-vs-jian-zeng-table-tennis-manika-batra-pre-quarters-2574378-2024-07-31 | title=Paris Olympics: Birthday girl Sreeja Akula follows Manika into pre-quarters | date=31 July 2024 }}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
She studied in Rosary Convent High School,Abids.
Sreeja hails from Hyderabad. Both her father Praveen Kumar, a manager in a private insurance company, and elder sister Ravali are table tennis players.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Tomar |first=Ajay |date=2024-02-18 |title=Telangana paddler Sreeja Akula has her eyes set on Paris Olympics after beating World No 2 |url=https://thesouthfirst.com/telangana/telangana-paddler-sreeja-akula-has-her-eyes-set-on-paris-olympics-after-beating-world-no-2/ |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=The South First |language=en |archive-date=5 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305050221/https://thesouthfirst.com/telangana/telangana-paddler-sreeja-akula-has-her-eyes-set-on-paris-olympics-after-beating-world-no-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ravali played at the university level. Sreeja trained under coach Somnath Ghosh,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Subrahmanyam |first=V. V. |date=2024-01-02 |title=Sreeja shifts focus to Paris Olympics after ranking first in women's singles for the fourth consecutive year |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/table-tennis/sreeja-akula-paris-2024-olympics-womens-singles-ttfi-ranking-fourth-consecutive-year/article67698301.ece |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=Sportstar |language=en |archive-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728120805/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/olympics/paris-2024/interviews/sreeja-akula-paris-2024-olympics-womens-singles-ttfi-ranking-fourth-consecutive-year/article67698301.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> at his academy at [[Kukatpally]], Hyderabad. Before that she learnt the basics at St Paul's Academy in [[Basheerbagh|Basheer Bagh]] when she was nine years and continued the game at YMCA in [[Narayanguda]],<ref name=":0" /> She passed her intermediate (plus two) with 98.7 percent and then graduated in commerce. Telangana State Table Tennis Association (TSTTA) Secretary Nagendra Reddy was one of her first coaches.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
Akula was the gold medalist in Women's Doubles and Women's Team events in [[Table tennis at the 2019 South Asian Games]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Today |first=Telangana |date=2022-04-25 |title=Akula Sreeja, the new queen of Indian table tennis |url=https://telanganatoday.com/akula-sreeja-the-new-queen-of-indian-table-tennis |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=Telangana Today |language=en-US |archive-date=29 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729221437/https://telanganatoday.com/akula-sreeja-the-new-queen-of-indian-table-tennis |url-status=live }}</ref>

Akula won the women's singles and doubles table tennis titles at the 83rd Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships held in April 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://thebridge.in/table-tennis/sharath-kamal-10th-national-title-sreeja-akula-1st-30965?infinitescroll=1 | title=Senior TT Championships: Sharath Kamal wins 10th national title, Sreeja Akula her first | date=25 April 2022 | access-date=27 July 2022 | archive-date=28 July 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728120803/https://thebridge.in/table-tennis/sharath-kamal-10th-national-title-sreeja-akula-1st-30965?infinitescroll=1 | url-status=live }}</ref> She was the runner-up in national Women's singles in the previous edition, losing to [[Manika Batra]]. She was also a part of the Indian team at the [[2022 Commonwealth Games]] where she won gold medal in [[Table tennis at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – Mixed doubles|mixed doubles]] event with [[Sharath Kamal]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-01-23 |title=Mental strength, variations and forearm conditioning on national TT champion Sreeja Akula's mind as she aims for Olympic qualification |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/mental-strength-variations-and-forearm-conditioning-on-national-tt-champion-sreeja-akulas-mind-as-she-aims-for-olympic-qualification-9124577/ |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=5 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305050221/https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/mental-strength-variations-and-forearm-conditioning-on-national-tt-champion-sreeja-akulas-mind-as-she-aims-for-olympic-qualification-9124577/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2024, Sreeja won her maiden WTT singles career title at the WTT Feeder Corpus Christi in Texas.<ref name=":1" /> This was followed by her second singles career title at the WTT Feeder Beirut II in March 2024 where she beat Luxembourg's [[Sarah De Nutte]] 3-1 (6–11, 12–10, 11–5, 11–9) in the final.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nag |first=Utathya |date=24 March 2024 |title=WTT Feeder Beirut II 2024: Sreeja Akula wins singles title |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/wtt-feeder-beirut-ii-2024-table-tennis-india-results-winners |access-date=24 June 2024 |website=[[Olympics]] |archive-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728121303/https://olympics.com/en/news/wtt-feeder-beirut-ii-2024-table-tennis-india-results-winners |url-status=live }}</ref> Sreeja defeated WR2 Chinese paddler [[Wang Yidi]] in a group match at [[2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships – Women's team|2024 World Team Championships]], although her team narrowly lost the tie as 2–3. At the WTT Contender Lagos in June 2024, Akula became the first Indian to win a title at the Contender level. She achieved this feat by beating China's Ding Yijie with a 4–1 score in the ultimate clash. At the same event, she also won the women's doubles title alongside [[Archana Kamath]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-23 |title=Table Tennis: Sreeja Akula does the double: Wins singles and doubles WTT titles in Lagos |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/sreeja-akula-singles-doubles-win-wtt-contender-titles-9410607/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=24 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624044522/https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/sreeja-akula-singles-doubles-win-wtt-contender-titles-9410607/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Singles Titles ==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! Year
! Tournament
! Final opponent
! Score
|-
|2024
|[[World Table Tennis (ITTF)|WTT]]
Contender Lagos
|{{flagicon|CHN}} [https://pingsunday.com/ding-yijie-double-ranking Ding Yijie]
|4–1
|-
|2024
|WTT Feeder Corpus Christi
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lily Zhang]]
|3–0
|-
|2024
|WTT Feeder Beirut II
|{{flagicon|LUX}} [[Sarah De Nutte]]
|3–1
|}

== Awards ==
Akula received the Arjuna Award in 2022.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Today |first=Telangana |date=2022-11-16 |title=Arjuna Award a big motivation, says Hyderabad paddler Sreeja |url=https://telanganatoday.com/arjuna-award-a-big-motivation-says-hyderabad-paddler-sreeja |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=Telangana Today |language=en |archive-date=30 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130203551/https://telanganatoday.com/arjuna-award-a-big-motivation-says-hyderabad-paddler-sreeja |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-11-30 |title=Birmingham CWG star Sreeja Akula excited to be honoured with Arjuna award |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/birmingham-cwg-star-sreeja-akula-excited-to-be-honoured-with-arjuna-award/articleshow/95875894.cms |access-date=2024-03-06 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=28 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240728121304/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/birmingham-cwg-star-sreeja-akula-excited-to-be-honoured-with-arjuna-award/articleshow/95875894.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{sports links}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akula, Sreeja}}
[[Category:1998 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female table tennis players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Telangana]]
[[Category:Table tennis players at the 2024 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic table tennis players for India]]
[[Category:Table tennis players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for India]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in table tennis]]
[[Category:Table tennis players at the 2022 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games table tennis players for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games medalists in table tennis]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian sportswomen]]
[[Category:Asian Table Tennis Championships medalists]]

Sreeja Akula - Revision history

AuroraMackellar: Article