Asian Games 2026 Table Tennis: India Teams Exit, Doubles Now in Focus
Asian Games 2026 Table Tennis Brings Mixed Results for India
India鈥檚 Asian Games 2026 Table Tennis team events ended without a medal after both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 sides suffered defeats on September 22. The women鈥檚 team reached the quarterfinals but was swept 0-3 by North Korea, while the men鈥檚 side exited in the round of 16 following a 0-3 loss to South Korea.
The results were disappointing for two teams that had entered the competition with medal expectations. India鈥檚 attention will now shift towards the individual singles and doubles competitions, where several players remain in contention.
The women had entered the quarterfinal after surviving a tight contest against Singapore and then defeating Thailand 3-2. The men, meanwhile, were unable to progress beyond the last 16.
North Korea End India Women鈥檚 Team Campaign
The Indian women鈥檚 team faced a difficult quarterfinal against North Korea at Sky Hall.
Sreeja Akula, India鈥檚 highest-ranked women鈥檚 singles player at No. 58, was expected to provide an early advantage. Instead, she was beaten 7-11, 6-11, 5-11 by Kim Kum Yong, ranked 164th in the world.
Yashaswini Ghorpade then faced Pyon Song Gyong. Despite Ghorpade鈥檚 earlier decisive contribution in India鈥檚 3-2 victory over Thailand, she could not find a way through her Korean opponent and lost 4-11, 3-11, 6-11.
With India already 0-2 down, the pressure moved to Diya Chitale. However, Cha Su Yong completed the North Korean sweep with a 3-0 victory, winning 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.
The quarterfinal defeat brought the women鈥檚 team campaign to an abrupt end, but the Indian players still have singles and doubles events ahead.
Men鈥檚 Team Falls to South Korea
India鈥檚 men suffered an earlier exit, losing 0-3 to South Korea in the round of 16.
Harmeet Desai gave India an encouraging start against Jang Woo-jin, taking the opening game 11-8. However, Jang recovered to win the next three games 11-7, 11-8 and 11-9, putting South Korea 1-0 ahead.
Manush Shah then faced Oh Jungsung. After losing the first game 4-11, Manush fought back to take the next two 11-8 and 13-11. The Korean, however, edged the fourth game 13-11 before closing out the match 11-6 in the fifth.
With India needing a win to stay alive, Manav Thakkar took on An Jaeh-yun. Thakkar lost the opening game 10-12, and although he managed to take the third 11-7, An won the other two games 11-6 and 12-10 to complete South Korea鈥檚 3-0 victory.
Doubles Offers India Another Opportunity
Although the team events have ended, Indian table tennis still has several players competing in the doubles categories.
Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade are expected to combine in women鈥檚 doubles. Their progression will be closely watched after the disappointment of the team quarterfinal.
In mixed doubles, Diya Chitale and Manush Shah enter the competition as the world No. 8 pair. They are scheduled to begin their campaign against Sri Lanka鈥檚 Chanul Kulappuwawadu and Swarna Bimandee in the second round.
The men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 doubles events therefore provide India with another chance to make an impact after the early team-event exits.
India鈥檚 Doubles Strength Remains a Key Story
Doubles had already been identified as an important medal pathway for the Indian contingent before the Games. Former Indian paddler Neha Aggarwal Sharma, speaking ahead of the competition, highlighted men鈥檚, women鈥檚 and mixed doubles as areas where India could challenge for medals.
The men鈥檚 doubles combination of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah entered the Games with a strong international ranking, while India also has established players and younger talent across the other doubles categories.
For the Indian contingent, the team events may have ended earlier than expected, but the tournament is not over.
The next phase will put greater emphasis on individual performances, partnerships and the ability to recover quickly from difficult team-event results. With the doubles competitions still to come, India鈥檚 table tennis campaign at the Asian Games 2026 has another chapter waiting to be written.
