Aichi-Nagoya, 25 September (H.S.): India’s Manush Shah and Diya Chitale made history on Friday by advancing to the semifinals of the table tennis mixed doubles event at the 2026 Asian Games. The Indian pair have also assured the country of at least a bronze medal.

World No. 8 Manush and Diya defeated Hong Kong, China’s World No. 4 pair Doo Hoi Kem and Wong Chun Ting 3-1 in the quarterfinals. The Indian pair won the match 11-6, 13-15, 11-9, 11-5.

Manush and Diya have become the second Indian pair to assure a medal in table tennis mixed doubles at the Asian Games. Earlier, Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

India have so far won bronze medals in table tennis at the Asian Games in the men’s team event in 2018, mixed doubles in 2018 and women’s doubles in 2023.

In the semifinals, Manush and Diya will face China’s World No. 2 pair Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha. The Chinese duo are the two-time defending champions in the event.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar