Consecutive defeats for Indian paddlers ahead of 2026 Asian Games: A worrying sign?

As the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya approach, India's top table tennis players are facing a rough patch. Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar, currently world No. 3 in men's doubles, have suffered notable defeats at WTT Champions Macao, WTT Contender Almaty, and the Europe Smash. At WTT Champions Macao, Manush Shah lost 0-3 (10-12, 5-11, 6-11) to Sweden's Anton Kallberg. Manav Thakkar fell 1-3 (12-14, 4-11, 11-9, 3-11) to France's Alexis Lebrun, the sixth seed. Earlier, at WTT Contender Almaty, Manush lost to Russia's Denis Ivonin, and at Europe Smash, Manav lost to Japan's Harimoto Tomokazu. Detailed analysis reveals that despite their high doubles ranking, the singles form of both players is a concern. Objectively, their opponents are among the world's elite; losing in the first round of WTT Champions is not a disaster. Moreover, India's Asian Games squad is already confirmed, so these losses do not affect selection. The only bright spot: Manav Thakkar won a game (11-9) against Alexis Lebrun, showing he can adjust tactically. But inconsistency remains a major hurdle. With their world No. 3 doubles ranking, India's medal hopes at the Asian Games may rest more on doubles than singles. These defeats serve as an early warning for the coaching staff to make necessary adjustments before the Games.