th players produced attacking table tennis throughout the match, exchanging games before Ankur edged ahead in the seventh and final game
Updated: August 2, 2026, 9:14 PM IST
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File photo of Ankur Bhattarcharjee(Credits: X)
India’s Ankur Bhattacharjee won the men’s singles gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships after defeating compatriot Payas Jain 4-3 in a thrilling final on SaturdayThe closely fought contest went the distance before Ankur held his nerve in the deciding game to emerge champion, capping off an impressive campaign for the Indian paddler.
The all-Indian final showcased the depth of talent in the country’s table tennis setupBoth players produced attacking table tennis throughout the match, exchanging games before Ankur edged ahead in the seventh and final gameHis composure under pressure proved to be the difference as he secured the title after a hard-fought battle.
Ankur had looked in excellent form throughout the tournamentHe began his campaign with a first-round bye before defeating Singapore’s Nicholas Tan 4-1 in the Round of 32.
He then outclassed Christos Theofanous of Cyprus 4-0 in the pre-quarterfinals and beat Australia’s Nicholas Lum 4-1 in the quarterfinalsIn the semifinals, Ankur overcame England’s Connor Green 4-1 to set up the title clash against Payas.
Payas Jain also enjoyed a memorable run to the finalAfter receiving a first-round bye, he defeated Malaysia’s Javen Choong 4-0 in the Round of 32.
He followed it up with a 4-2 victory over Singapore’s Josh Chua in the pre-quarterfinals before getting the better of fellow Indian Harmeet Desai 4-1 in the quarterfinalsIn the semifinals, Payas produced another strong performance to beat Australia’s Aditya Sareen 4-1 and book his place in the gold-medal match.
The result completed an outstanding campaign for India in the men’s singles competition, with both finalists coming from the Indian contingentIt also reflected the country’s dominance at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, where Indian players consistently reached the latter stages across different events
The country won the men’s team and women’s team titles before adding the men’s singles crown through Ankur BhattacharjeeIndia also claimed the women’s singles title through Sreeja Akula, while several Indian paddlers reached the podium in doubles and mixed doubles events.
The all-Indian men’s singles final between Ankur and Payas was a fitting end to a memorable campaign.
India is assured of the women’s singles title at the 2026 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships after Sreeja Akula and Yashaswini Ghorpade booked their places in the final with impressive semifinal victories.
