India’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams recorded impressive victories in their second group stage matches at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London.
The women’s team defeated Ukraine 3-2 in a nail-biting contest. Manika Batra opened with a strong 3-1 win over Olympian Tetyana Bilenko. Yashaswini Ghorpade lost narrowly to Margaryta Pesotska, but Diya Chitale restored India’s lead with a straight-games victory. Manika fell in her second match, levelling the tie at 2-2. Ghorpade then sealed the win with a decisive 3-1 triumph over Bilenko. India will face Rwanda in their next group match.
The men’s team overcame Slovakia 3-2 in another tense battle. Manush Shah lost his opener to Lubomir Pistej, but Manav Thakkar equalised with a commanding 3-0 win. Slovakia regained the lead when Yang Wang defeated Harmeet Desai. Manav struck again with another 3-0 victory, and Shah redeemed himself by clinching the tie with a 3-0 win over Jakub Zelinka. India’s next challenge is against Guatemala.
Earlier, the women’s team received a walkover against Uganda, while the men’s team swept Tunisia 3-0. The championship features 64 teams divided into four groups of 16, showcasing top talent from across the globe.
