London, May 7: India’s journey in the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championship 2026 ended disappointingly. Both the men’s and women’s teams faced defeats in the Round of 32 at the OVO Arena Wembley. The men’s team lost 0-3 to Austria, while the women’s team was defeated 1-3 by the United States, marking the end of their impressive group stage performances.
In the men’s match, world number 51 Manush Shah struggled in his first game but narrowly lost to Olympian Robert Gardos with a score of 2-3 (6-11, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 13-11). This close defeat proved decisive, making it difficult for India to recover.
World number 39 Manav Thakkar lost 0-3 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6) to Daniel Habesohn. Olympian Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, ranked 42nd, also fell in straight games to Andreas Levenko, losing 0-3 (11-5, 11-8, 11-9). Austria easily clinched the tie.
Despite their early exit, the Indian men’s team had shown strong performances in the group stage, achieving a remarkable 3-0 victory against Tunisia and Guatemala, and securing a comeback win against Slovakia to top Group 1B and advance to the knockout stage.
The women’s team entered the Round of 32 with confidence after finishing at the top of their group. However, they found the American team too strong that day. In the first match, world number 61 Yashaswini Ghorpade lost to Sally Moyland 0-3 (11-8, 11-8, 11-7). India responded by sending in Olympian Manika Batra, ranked 48th, who defeated Jessica Reyes Lai 3-1 (11-2, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4), leveling the tie.
However, this momentum did not last long. World number 95 Diya Chitale lost 0-3 (11-8, 11-7, 13-11) to Lily Zhang. Batra returned for the crucial fourth match but lost to Moyland 1-3 (10-12, 11-9, 11-3, 13-11), resulting in India’s elimination from the tournament.
Earlier, the Indian women’s team had performed admirably in Stage 1, defeating Ukraine, Uganda, and Rwanda to secure a spot in the knockout stage.
A total of 64 teams were divided into 16 groups for this championship. The top two teams from each group advanced to Stage 2. Although India performed well in the initial rounds, the knockout stage proved to be quite challenging. This prestigious championship will conclude on May 10.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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