Indian Men's Table Tennis Team Triumphs at Asian Games 2026

The Indian men's table tennis team launched their Asian Games 2026 campaign with a solid 3-0 victory over Indonesia. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manav Thakkar, and Manush Shah each contributed to this success. Additionally, India secured a silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle team event and saw Smriti Mandhana break the record for the most runs in women's T20 International cricket. With impressive performances across various sports, India is off to a promising start at the Games.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 20, 2026, 12:06 IST

Victory in Opening Match

The Indian men's table tennis squad kicked off their Asian Games 2026 journey with a decisive 3-0 victory over Indonesia in their first group-stage match on Sunday. Players Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Manav Thakkar, and Manush Shah each secured wins in their matches, contributing to India's strong performance.

Thrilling Matches

Sathiyan started the day with a win, followed by Manav Thakkar, who faced a challenging opponent in Muhammad Junindra. Thakkar triumphed in a nail-biting five-game match, finishing with scores of 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 6-11, and 11-9, which put India ahead 2-0.

Manush Shah then sealed the victory for India by defeating Affan Pratama in straight games, with scores of 11-9, 11-9, and 12-10. This win marked a strong beginning for India's men's table tennis team at the Asian Games.

India's Medal Achievements

In addition to table tennis, India also began their medal tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a silver in the women's 10m air rifle team event, thanks to Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar, and Vidarsa Vinod's performance. Furthermore, Suchika Tariyal earned a medal in women's traditional 60kg MMA by defeating Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in the quarterfinals.

The women's hockey team made headlines with a remarkable 19-0 victory over Uzbekistan, while the women's table tennis team also achieved a 3-0 win against Indonesia in their Group F match.

Smriti Mandhana Breaks T20I Record

In cricket news, Indian women's team opener Smriti Mandhana made history by becoming the highest run-scorer in women's T20 International cricket during the Asian Games 2026 semi-final against Bangladesh. She surpassed the previous record held by New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who had 4,758 runs in 186 matches. Mandhana now boasts a total of 4,765 runs in this format.

This achievement occurred during the second women's cricket semi-final at Korogi Sports Park, where the winner will face Sri Lanka in the gold medal match after Sri Lanka's victory over Pakistan by eight wickets in the first semi-final.