Youngster Payas Jain completed the clean sweep with an 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 victory over Vikram Singh, ensuring India secured the tie without dropping a match
Published: July 27, 2026, 9:36 PM IST
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Indian players arrive during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2026 at Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi on Monday, July 27, 2026, Photo: IANS
Hosts India made a winning start to their campaign at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships as both the men’s and women’s teams registered comfortable 3-0 victories in their opening group-stage matches at the Thyagraj Stadium on Monday.
The top-seeded Indian men’s team outclassed Zimbabwe in its Group A opener, with every player producing a convincing performance.
Commonwealth Games medallist Manav Thakkar gave India the perfect start by defeating Taenda Mumvuma 11-3, 11-2, 11-6 in straight games. Harmeet Desai then doubled India’s lead with an equally dominant display, beating Tapiwa Musarurwa 11-5, 11-4, 11-5.
Youngster Payas Jain completed the clean sweep with an 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 victory over Vikram Singh, ensuring India secured the tie without dropping a match.
In the other Group A fixture, Malaysia also opened its campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Wales.
Group B saw Australia and Namibia receive 3-0 walkovers after Jamaica and South Africa failed to compete. England defeated Cyprus 3-0 in Group C, while New Zealand recorded an identical victory over the Falkland Islands. In Group D, Canada blanked Scotland 3-0, and Singapore beat Northern Ireland by the same score line.
India’s women’s team, one of the favourites for the title, also began its campaign in impressive fashion with a 3-0 win over the Maldives in Group B. The Indian players did not concede a single game during the tie.
Sutirtha Mukherjee started the contest with an 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 victory over Fathimath Dheema Ali. Yashaswini Ghorpade followed it up with a solid 11-2, 11-5, 11-7 win against Aishath Rafa Nazim to put India in complete control.
Swastika Ghosh then wrapped up the tie with a dominant 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 victory over Mishka Mohamed Ibrahim, completing another flawless outing for the hosts.
The biggest contest of the day in the women’s competition came in Group A, where top seeds Singapore were given a tough fight by Sri Lanka. The Singaporeans were pushed all the way before eventually sealing a narrow 3-2 victory.
Elsewhere, Northern Ireland edged past South Africa 3-2 in Group B. Australia and England recorded identical 3-0 wins over Bangladesh and Cyprus respectively in Group C. In Group D, Canada received a walkover against Botswana, while Malaysia defeated Scotland 3-0.
With both the men’s and women’s teams starting with convincing victories, India will look to carry the momentum into the remaining group-stage matches as they continue their bid for the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships title.
