India showcased its table tennis prowess at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships with Ankur Bhattacharjee and Yashaswini Ghorpade winning the men’s and women’s singles titles respectively as the nation secured nearly all gold medals on offer.
IMAGE: Yashaswini Ghorpade (gold medal), Sreeja Akula (silver), Syndrela Das and Sutirtha Mukherjee (bronze) on the victory podium at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2026, in New Delhi on Sunday. Photograph: ANI
Key Points
- Ankur Bhattacharjee won the men’s singles title, defeating Payas Jain 4-3 in a closely contested final.
- Yashaswini Ghorpade took the women’s singles title with a 4-1 victory over Sreeja Akula.
- India demonstrated overwhelming dominance at the championships, securing all but one of the available gold medals.
- Malaysia’s Shen Qi Wong and Javen Choong prevented an Indian clean sweep by winning the men’s doubles title against the world No. 2 Indian pair.
- Indian pairs also won the women’s doubles (Sreeja Akula/Syndrela Das) and mixed doubles (Manav Thakkar/Taneesha Kotecha) events.
IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta confers trophies to India’s Ankur Bhattacharjee and Manav Thakkar, who won gold and bronze respectively. Photograph: ANI
Ankur Bhattacharjee and Yashaswini Ghorpade won the men’s and women’s singles titles with contrasting victories at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in Delhi on Sunday.
Bhattacharjee emerged a deserving 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 11-9 winner over Payas Jain after a hard-fought match.
Payas looked set for victory after opening a 7-4 lead in the deciding game. However, Ankur called a timeout that disrupted his opponent’s rhythm, and fought back to level at 8-8.
He then edged ahead 10-9, and eventually sealed the title 11-9 when Payas’ return drifted long.
Ghorpade’s Dominant Performance
In the women’s final, Ghorpade delivered a commanding performance to defeat Sreeja Akula 11-6, 11-1, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11.
India dominated the championships, winning all but one of the gold medals on offer.
The lone title eluded the hosts was the men’s doubles, where Malaysia’s pair defeated Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 in the final.
Ghorpade dominated the opening two games, racing to an 11-6, 11-1 lead and putting Sreeja under immense pressure.
Sreeja responded admirably, taking the third game 11-8 to keep her hopes alive, but Ghorpade quickly regained control, claiming the fourth game 11-7 and moving within touching distance of the title.
The fifth game produced the most entertaining contest of the match, with both players matching each other point-for-point in a tense finish.
Although Sreeja fought hard and saved two championship points, she failed to benefit from crucial opportunities at the business end.
Yashaswini held her nerve to convert her third match point, sealing a 13-11 victory and the championship in style.
Doubles Results and Indian Success
In the men’s doubles final, contrary to expectations, Malaysia’s Shen Qi Wong and Javen Choong delivered a clinical display, defeating India’s Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah, the world No. 2 pair, in straight games.
In the all-Indian women’s doubles final, Sreeja Akula and Syndrela Das delivered a commanding performance, defeating Yashaswini Ghorpade and Divyanshi Bhowmick 3-1.
The mixed doubles final featured a spirited comeback by India’s Manav Thakkar and Taneesha Kotecha, who defeated Malaysia’s Ai Xin and Richard Rui 3-2.
Results (Finals):
Men’s Singles: Ankur Bhattacharjee (Ind) bt Payas Jain (Ind) 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 11-9.
Men’s Doubles: Shen Qi Wong/Javen Choong (Mas) bt Manav Thakkar/Manush Shah (Ind) 11-9, 12-10, 11-7.
Women’s Singles: Yashaswini Ghorpade (Ind) bt Sreeja Akula (Ind) 11-6, 11-1, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11.
Women’s Doubles: Sreeja Akula/Syndrela Das (Ind) bt Yashaswini Ghorpade/Divyanshi Bhowmick (Ind) 11-8, 11-13, 11-8, 11-6.
Mixed Doubles: Taneesha Kotecha/Manav Thakkar (Ind) bt Ai Xin Tee/Richard Rui Zhe Yap (Mas) 11-8, 10-12, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5.
