Manush Shah, Diya Chitale crowned national table tennis champions

Manush Shah and Diya Chitale claimed the titles after defeating Payas Jain and top seed Sreeja Akula, respectively, in the singles finals of the 86th Senior National Table Tennis Championship, which concluded at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium in Surat.

Manush, the bespectacled southpaw from Vadodara — representing his employer, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), instead of his home state Gujarat — continued his dominant form, overcoming Payas in five games in the best-of-seven final.

Earlier in the day, Diya, the Mumbai paddler also representing RBI, staged an incredible comeback after trailing 2-0 against Sreeja, India’s top-ranked international player. Diya won a thrilling women’s final, which turned out to be the longest match of the tournament’s final day. Her singles victory completed a double crown, as she and Sreeja had clinched the doubles title just a day earlier.

Both Manush and Diya earned a prize of Rs. 3.20 lakh each. However, it was the glittering trophy that meant the most to them. Having previously won sub-junior, junior, and youth national titles, the two paddlers were ecstatic to finally claim the coveted senior national championship trophy — a goal they had pursued for a decade.

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Manush carried his momentum from his commanding 4-0 victory over an in-form Ankur Bhattacharjee in the semifinal, giving Payas little opportunity by combining precise power and angles. Meanwhile, Diya adapted her game plan midway through the match, employing her backhand topspin more effectively to put Sreeja under consistent pressure.