In the gold medal match of the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2026 held at the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday, the Indian men’s team, featuring world No. 38 Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, faced a tough challenge against Malaysia.
Ultimately, the host nation triumphed with a thrilling 3-2 victory.
To secure the win in the men’s team event, double partners Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah had to compete in two singles matches. Manush emerged victorious in both of his singles encounters, while Thakkar won one and lost another, with Gnanasekaran also facing defeat.
The World No. 38 Indian player set the tone for the match by winning the opening game against Javen Choong with scores of 12-10, 11-7, 5-11, and 11-5, giving India a 1-0 lead. Manush Shah then extended India’s lead to 2-0 by defeating Qi Shen Wong in a closely contested match that ended 11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 2-11, 11-7.
However, just one win away from clinching the title, Gnanasekaran was unexpectedly defeated by Hong Yu Tey in straight games, with scores of 11-7, 11-8, and 12-10. Thakkar returned to the table in an attempt to secure the victory but fell short.
Qi Shen Wong rebounded from his earlier loss to Shah, defeating Thakkar 4-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-1, leveling the match at 2-2.
In the decisive fifth rubber, Shah maintained his composure and defeated Malaysian Javen Choong with scores of 11-7, 11-4, and 11-4, securing the gold medal for India. The Indian men’s team received a reward of $10,000 for their victory.
While Malaysia took home the silver medal, the bronze medals were awarded to the teams from Singapore and England, both of which reached the semifinals. The silver-medal winning Malaysian team included Javen Choong, Qi Shen Wong, Jin Zhen Mi, Hong Yu Tey, and Richard Rui Zhe Yap.
The Indian team that clinched the gold medal included Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, Sathiyan Ganamasekaran, Harmeet Desai, and Payas Jian. The Singaporean squad that secured the bronze medal comprised Josh Shao Han Chua, Nicholas Tan, Ellsworth Le, Zhao Ray Tan, and Ze Yi Yang.
Meanwhile, the English team that finished with the bronze medal featured Connor Alexander Green, Siraj Shayan Waseem, Joseph Edward Hunter, and Benjamin J. Piggott.