Manush Shah and Diya Chitale claim table tennis bronze
Indian paddlers Manush Shah and Diya Chitale secured third place in mixed doubles table tennis at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Friday.
Their impressive campaign concluded in the semi-finals after a defeat by the formidable Chinese pair of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha. Since the event does not hold a playoff for third place, reaching the final four guaranteed the world number eight duo a podium finish.
This achievement marks only the second time India has won a mixed doubles medal in table tennis at this continental event, following Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra in 2018. Earlier in the tournament, Shah and Chitale caused a major upset by defeating the world number four pair from Hong Kong, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem. They won that crucial quarter-final match 3-1, recording scores of 11-6, 13-15, 11-9, and 11-5 against the multiple-time world championship medalists.
Friday proved successful across multiple disciplines for the Indian contingent. Shooters Kamaljeet and Suruchi Inder Singh claimed gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Meanwhile, the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team, featuring Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil, and Niraj Kumar, secured silver. In squash, Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar advanced to the mixed doubles semi-finals, assuring another medal. Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh also progressed to their respective singles semi-finals. Both national kabaddi teams marched into the finals, with the women defeating Nepal and the men overcoming Thailand. On the hockey field, the women’s team recorded a 3-1 victory over Japan in their Pool B encounter. In other events, swimmer Rishabh Das finished sixth in the men’s 200m backstroke final clocking 1:58.77. Weightlifter Seram Nirupama Devi took seventh place in the women’s 61kg category with a total lift of 217kg. Boxer Preeti concluded her campaign in the round of 16 following a defeat by North Korea’s Pang Chol Mi.
India now holds 20 medals in total, consisting of two gold, eight silver, and 10 bronze. This performance places the country 12th in the overall standings midway through the competitions.