Bhubaneswar: India’s campaign at the ITTF-ATTU 28th Asian Team Table Tennis Championships, beginning at the Indoor Athletics Centre of Kalinga Stadium on Friday, promises both opportunity and peril. While the women’s team will fancy its chances of progressing deep into the tournament, the men’s side faces a demanding draw that could see them clash with some of the world’s very best before the semifinals.
Seeded No. 4, the Indian men’s team, led by Manav Thakkar, the only Indian currently in the top 50 of the ITTF world rankings, will have to be at its sharpest from the outset. They open against Hong Kong (China) in the quarterfinals—a side with players ranked consistently in the world’s top 40, known for their compact defence and counter-topspin precision. A victory there would pit India against Iran, a rapidly improving outfit anchored by Noshed Almiyan, whose aggressive forehand game has made him one of West Asia’s most consistent performers.
Beyond Iran, the road gets steeper. The top-seeded Chinese team, powered by world No. 1 Wang Chuqin and Lin Shidong (world No. 2), remains the gold standard in men’s table tennis. Japan, led by Tomokazu Harimoto, currently among the world’s top three, and the Republic of Korea, featuring top-20 regulars like An Jae-hyun, Jang Woojin, are the other heavyweights expected to dominate. In such a company, India’s youthful line-up of Thakkar, Manush Shah, Payas Jain, Ankur Bhattacharjee, and SFR Snehit will need both precision and poise to make an impact.
In contrast, the draw has been kinder to the Indian women’s team, also seeded fourth, who open their campaign against Hong Kong (China) in the Champions Division quarterfinals. Should they prevail, they will meet Chinese Taipei, the second seeds, who bring depth and balance to their line-up with top-30 players such as Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching, both among the top-20. While the draw theoretically paves a smoother path toward the semifinals, the Indians must still overcome the qualifiers in their section before stepping onto the podium.
However, the summit remains guarded by the mighty Chinese, led by the world’s top three women — Sun Yingsha (No. 1), Wang Manyu (No. 2), and Chen Xingtong (No. 3) — who together form an almost impenetrable unit. Japan, the top seed in the women’s section, led by Hina Hayata and Mima Ito, both inside the world’s top 10, will once again look to challenge China’s supremacy. Between these two titans lies a field of hopefuls—and India, with its blend of experience and youthful grit, is determined to seize its moment.
Meanwhile, the Division 1 qualifying rounds begin tomorrow, featuring 16 men’s and 14 women’s teams battling for promotion into the elite Champions Division. Among the men’s qualifiers, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Singapore are expected to dominate their groups. However, the women’s qualifiers will see the likes of Chinese Taipei, Singapore, and Malaysia contesting fiercely for advancement. Only two teams will make it to the Champions bracket.
As Asia’s best converge in Bhubaneswar, the atmosphere brims with anticipation. For India, this is more than just another continental challenge—it’s a test of depth, belief, and the ability to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sport’s powerhouses. With the home crowd behind them and momentum on their side, the men and women will look to script a performance worthy of their growing reputation.
The lights are ready, the tables gleam, and the paddles will soon sing—as India braces for its most defining continental test yet.
Tags: Asian Table Tennis
