Asian Games: India’s medal tally reaches 20; Manush Shah, Diya Chitale won mixed doubles in table tennis

Manush Shah and Diya Chitale (File Photo) India’s medal tally at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya reached 20 on Friday as Manush Shah and Diya Chitale won a historic bronze medal in the table tennis mixed doubles event.The Indian pair lost to China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha 8-11, 5-11, 8-11, 2-11 in the semi-finals, but finished on the podium with a bronze medal.It is only India’s second mixed doubles medal in table tennis at the Asian Games. The first came in Jakarta in 2018 when Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra also won bronze.With the presence of China, Japan and South Korea, winning a medal at the Asian Games is as tough as it gets.The partnership between Manush and Diya has been steadily growing ever since they got together in October 2023. While it is common for players on the WTT Tour to switch partners for scheduling reasons, Manush and Diya continue to play only each other.Left-handed Manush and right-handed Diya complement each other in style. Manush relies on his power play from both ends while Diya’s role is to create opportunities for him to score points.The medal also comes during a strong phase of Manush’s career. He is currently the highest ranked Indian singles player at world number 43.After finishing on the podium at the Asian Games, Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ)-backed Manush and Diya will now be eyeing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.