LONDON : The Indian men’s and women’s table tennis teams saw promising campaigns at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships 2026 come to an end in the Round of 32 stage in London.
After topping their respective groups in the early phase of the tournament, both squads were unable to progress into the Round of 16, underscoring the rising competitiveness at the global level.
Men’s Team Falls to Austria
In the men’s Round of 32 tie, India went down 0-3 to Austria, bowing out of the championships despite a spirited effort. The opening match between Manush Shah and Robert Gardos was the closest of the encounter. Shah, showing resilience, took the match the distance but lost 2-3 (11-6, 7-11, 3-11, 11-8, 11-13) in a gripping final game that lasted almost 46 minutes.
India’s experienced duo, Manav Thakkar and G Sathiyan, could not follow up. Thakkar was beaten 0-3 (7-11, 5-11, 6-11) by Daniel Habesohn, while Sathiyan went down 0-3 (5-11, 8-11, 9-11) to Andreas Levenko, sealing Austria’s clean sweep.
Women’s Team Lose to USA
The Indian women’s team faced a tough battle against the United States, ultimately losing 1-3. American paddler Sally Moyland played a starring role, securing two victories to help the USA secure their place in the Round of 16. Moyland opened strongly against Yashaswini Ghorpade, controlling rallies and closing out the match 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7).
India’s solitary win came from a resilient performance in one of the rubbers, but the overall depth and firepower of the U.S. lineup proved decisive on the day.
Group Stage Success, Knockout Exit
Both Indian teams had earlier made strong statements in the group stage, finishing at the top of their pools with commanding results. The men recorded wins over teams such as Guatemala and Tunisia, while the women notched victories against Rwanda and a thrilling win over Ukraine.
However, the transition from group play to knockout intensity exposed the challenges still facing Indian table tennis when matched against established European and American squads.
Reflections and Future Focus
While the early exits will be a disappointment for Indian fans, the performances highlighted individual promise and reinforced the importance of depth and match toughness at world level competitions.
Both teams will now regroup and set their sights on upcoming international assignments, with lessons from London likely to shape preparations for future global events.
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