Published: July 27, 2026 at 8:03 pm
Top seeds India made a commanding start to their campaign in the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships at the Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi on Monday, as both the men’s and women’s teams cruised to identical 3-0 victories in their opening league encounters.
The top-seeded Indian men’s team wasted little time in asserting its dominance, blanking Zimbabwe 3-0 in Group A. Commonwealth Games medallist Manav Thakkar set the tone with a clinical 11-3, 11-2, 11-6 victory over Taenda Mumvuma. Experienced campaigner Harmeet Desai then comfortably accounted for Tapiwa Musarurwa 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 before youngster Payas Jain completed the rout with an equally convincing 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 win against Vikram Singh.
Payas Jain completed the rout with an equally convincing 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 win against Vikram Singh. Pics: Butterfly UTT
Malaysia also opened with a 3-0 victory over Wales in the same group.
Elsewhere in the men’s competition, Australia and Namibia were awarded 3-0 walkovers over Jamaica and South Africa respectively in Group B. England defeated Cyprus 3-0 while New Zealand overcame Falkland Islands by an identical margin in Group C. In Group D, Canada outclassed Scotland 3-0, and Singapore registered a comfortable 3-0 victory over Northern Ireland.
India’s women, seeded among the title contenders, were equally impressive in their Group B opener, brushing aside Maldives 3-0 without dropping a game. Sutirtha Mukherjee opened with an emphatic 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 win over Fathimath Dheema Ali before Yashaswini Ghorpade defeated Aishath Rafa Nazim 11-2, 11-5, 11-7. Swastika Ghosh then wrapped up proceedings with an authoritative 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 victory over Mishka Mohamed Ibrahim.
However, the biggest surprise of the opening day came in the women’s Group A, where top seeds Singapore were pushed to the limit by a spirited Sri Lankan side before escaping with a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
Sutirtha Mukherjee opened with an emphatic 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 win over Fathimath Dheema Ali
Singapore began strongly through Janelle Rui En, who edged Swarna Sri Bandara 11-7, 11-13, 14-12, 11-7. Sri Lanka hit back when Tamadi K. Alagiyawadu defeated Eudora Eng Kee in a five-game thriller, 11-9, 11-1, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5. Zi Sian Chong restored Singapore’s advantage with a straight-games 11-9, 11-7, 11-8 win over Yoshini Vidarst, only for Sri Lanka to level the tie once again as Swarna Sri Bandara overwhelmed Eudora Eng 11-8, 11-3, 11-0.
With the contest hanging in the balance, Janelle Rui En produced another composed performance, defeating Tamadi K. Alagiyawadu 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 to seal the tie and spare the favourites from an early upset.
In the remaining women’s matches, Northern Ireland edged South Africa 3-2 in Group B, Australia and England recorded identical 3-0 victories over Bangladesh and Cyprus respectively in Group C, while Canada received a walkover against Botswana and Malaysia defeated Scotland 3-0 in Group D.
With the opening round completed, the leading contenders have laid down early markers, although Singapore’s narrow escape served as a reminder that every tie in the championship is likely to be fiercely contested.
Earlier in the day, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta formally inaugurated the championships in the presence of officials, players and dignitaries. The opening ceremony featured the traditional march-past by all participating teams, while a vibrant cultural programme organised by the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation entertained players, officials and spectators before the competition got underway.
Results (Round 1): Men: Group A: India beat Zimbabwe 3-0 (Manav Thakkar beat Taenda Mumvuma 11-3, 11-2, 11-6, Harmeet Desai beat Tapiwa Musarurwa 11-5, 11-4, 11-5, Payas Jain beat Vikram Singh 11-3, 11-3, 11-8); Malaysia beat Wales 3-0.
Group B: Australia w/o Jamaica 3-0, Namibia w/o South Africa 3-0.
Group C: England beat Cyprus 3-0, New Zealand beat Falkland Island 3-0.
Group D: Canada beat Scotland 3-0, Singapore beat Northern Ireland 3-0.
Women: Group A: Singapore beat Sri Lanka 3-2 (Janelle Rui En beat Swarna Sri Bandara 11-7, 11-13, 14-12, 11-7, Eudora Eng Kee lost to Tamadi K Alagiyawadu 9-11, 1-11, 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, Zi Sian Chong beat Yoshini Vidarst 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, Eudora Eng lost to Swarna Sri Bandara 8-11, 3-11, 0-11, Janelle Rui beat Tamadi K. Alagiyawadu 11-8, 11-5, 11-6).
Group B: India beat Maldives 3-0 (Sutirtha Mukherjee beat Fathimath Dheema Ali 11-4, 11-2, 11-5, Yashaswini Ghorpade beat Aishath Rafa Nazim 11-2, 11-5, 11-7, Swastima Ghosh beat Mishka Mohamed Ibrahim 11-3, 11-5, 11-2); Northern Ireland beat South Africa 3-2.
Group C: Australia beat Bangladesh 3-0; England beat Cyprus 3-0.
Group D: Canada w/o Botswana 3-0, Malaysia beat Scotland 3-0.
