India’s table tennis teams pulled off an impressive double at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships on Thursday, grabbing both the men’s and women’s titles on home turf at Delhi’s Thyagraj Stadium.
The men, led by world No. 38 Manav Thakkar earned their crown the hard way in a tense 3-2 battle. The women, captained by Sreeja Akula left no doubts—sweeping Malaysia 3-0 in the final.
The women’s final kicked off with Swastika Ghosh facing Malaysia’s Ai Xin Tee. Swastika wasted no time and took the first two sets, 11-7 and 11-2. Tee pushed back, taking the third set 11-9, but Swastika stayed cool and closed out the match 11-9 in the fourth, handing India a 1-0 lead.
Next up, Sreeja Akula—currently ranked 67 in the world and a bronze medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games—was tested by Malaysia’s Karen Lyne Anak Dick. After dropping the first set 11-9, Sreeja bounced back strong, winning the next two sets 11-6 and 11-4. Karen wasn’t done and forced a fifth set by taking the fourth 11-5. But Sreeja dominated the decider 11-3, putting India up 2-0.
Yashaswini Ghorpade then squared off against Alice Li Sian Chang. Alice got off to a good start, winning the first set 11-7, but Yashaswini took control from there—claiming the next three sets 11-3, 17-15, and 11-5. That gave India a decisive 3-0 sweep, ending the contest before the remaining two matches were needed.
The men’s final proved more complicated, especially since India had lost to Malaysia earlier in the tournament. Manav Thakkar and the team made a crucial decision: they left Harmeet Desai out of the lineup, shifting their tactics. Malaysia also made adjustments, bringing in a fresh player for the third rubber. It paid off for India—they edged out Malaysia 3-2 to secure gold.
For their efforts, the Indian teams pocketed a prize of 10,000, while Malaysia took home half that for finishing as runners-up. Union Minister Harsh Malhotra presented the awards, capping a historic day for Indian table tennis.