Asian Games 2026: Diya Chitale, Manush Shah assure table tennis medal

Diya Chitale and Manush Shah assured India its first table tennis medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after producing a stunning quarterfinal upset against Hong Kong’s World No. 4 pair Doo Hoi Kem and Wong Chun Ting on Friday.

The Indian duo defeated their higher-ranked opponents 3-1, winning 11-6, 13-15, 11-9, 11-5 to reach the semifinals and assure themselves of a podium finish.

Chitale and Shah responded well after narrowly dropping the second game, edging the third before taking control of the fourth to complete the victory.

The medal comes after India’s men’s and women’s teams both fell short in their respective team events. The women fought past Thailand 3-2 in the Round of 16 before being beaten 0-3 by North Korea in the quarterfinals, while the men were knocked out by South Korea in the Round of 16.

For Chitale and Shah, the mixed doubles run has now ensured that India will leave the Games with a table tennis medal, regardless of the result in the semifinals.

The Indian pair now face an imposing challenge in the semifinals, where they will take on China’s Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin later on Friday.

A win would take Chitale and Shah into the gold-medal match, while defeat would leave them with bronze.