Diminutive Sreeja Akula and bespectacled Manav Thakkar produced contrasting yet equally influential performances as India’s women and men marched into the team finals of the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Both the teams outclassed England in their respective semifinals to set up title clashes against giant-killer Malaysia on Thursday.

The afternoon session began with the Indian women taking centre stage before a vocal group of schoolchildren cheering the home side. Sreeja, blending her long-pimpled backhand with explosive forehand topspin winners, barely broke sweat in dispatching Cheuk Wong to hand India the perfect start.

England responded through the experienced Tin-Tin Ho. Armed with her distinctive pen-hold grip and an uncanny ability to effectively use her backhand, Ho never allowed Yashaswini Ghorpade to settle into a rhythm and levelled the tie with a commanding win.

Sreeja sizzles

Teenager Syndrela Das restored India’s advantage with another composed display before Sreeja returned for the decisive fourth rubber. Her duel with Ho turned out to be the contest of the tie, featuring engrossing rallies and relentless changes in momentum. Sreeja held her nerve in the crunch moments, edging a gripping five-game battle to seal the place in the final.

Moments after the women exchanged handshakes, the men’s teams walked onto the show court. While Manush Shah’s opening rubber against Connor Green provided the early entertainment, it was Manav who earned widespread admiration.

Less than 24 hours after sustaining a deep cut to his forehead, against Australia, that required 13 stitches, Manav showed little sign of discomfort. Refusing to let the injury disrupt his rhythm, Manav produced another commanding display as India completed a 3-0 sweep without conceding a game.

The victory sets up a mouth-watering rematch against Malaysia, with the Indian men eager to avenge the surprise defeat they suffered in the league stage.

The results (semifinals): Women: India bt England 3-1 (Sreeja Akula bt Cheuk Lam Jasmin Wong 11-6, 11-3, 11-9; Yashaswini Ghorpade lost to Tin-Tin Ho 9-11, 6-11, 7-11; Syndrela Das bt Anna Green 11-7, 11-4, 11-9; Sreeja bt Ho 11-8, 5-11, 11-6, 8-11; 11-9). Malaysia bt Australia 3-2.

Men: India bt England 3-0 (Manush Shah bt Connor Green11-9, 11-9, 11-6; Manav Thakkar bt Joseph Hunter 11-8, 11-4, 11-5; Harmeet Desai bt Benjamin Piggott 11-5, 11-5, 11-5). Malaysia bt Singapore 3-1.

Winning an Ultimate Table Tennis title is special. Defending it, Lilian Bardet believes, is even more satisfying.

The Frenchman, one of only two surviving players from U Mumba TT’s maiden triumph in 2025 alongside reserve paddler Akash Pal, felt Sunday’s victory over Dempo Goa Challengers, unbeaten in the seventh season until then, was a testament to the team’s resilience after a shaky start.

“The first time is always something new for the team, for the players. But to achieve it a second time in a row is even bigger,” Bardet said after lifting the trophy at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji on Sunday.

“Teamwork from the first day until today [Sunday]… we are really proud of this victory.”

Coach John Murphy, who continued alongside Jay Modak after last year’s title-winning campaign, believed this triumph was markedly different from the first. “We lost the first two matches. We didn’t panic. We built our way back into the league. We qualified and then hit the ground running in the playoffs,” Murphy said.

“Last year, we ran on adrenaline and had some really big individual performances. This year was more calculated. I felt that the longer the tournament went on, the better we became.”

That measured approach was exemplified by Manush Shah. Returning to UTT after missing the 2025 season due to international commitments, the ace Indian paddler grew into the tournament before producing decisive performances in the semifinal and final.

Manush’s impact increased with every passing tie.
| Photo Credit:
BUTTERFLY UTT

“When we saw that Manush was available in the auction, he was one of the players we wanted,” Murphy said. “We were lucky enough to get him. Coming back after missing last season, he had to adapt again because UTT is a different format. But good players find their way.”

Murphy felt Manush’s impact increased with every passing tie. “He never backed down. He was probably the one player who just got better and better as the tournament went on. In the end, he was probably the key.”

Even so, Murphy insisted the title was built on collective consistency rather than individual brilliance. “But the team is a team. We wouldn’t have got there if we weren’t stable all the way through the league”.

Manush Shah remains a vital cog in U Mumba TT’s wheel, even if his form has fluctuated in Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7. A dependable singles player and one of the league’s finest doubles specialists, much of the defending champion’s fortunes rest on his shoulders.

Against PBG Pune Jaguars at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium here on Thursday, Manush once again proved his worth. Although he lost his opening singles match, he rose to the occasion in the pivotal mixed doubles as U Mumba edged Pune 9-6 to register its second successive victory.

U Mumba had earlier drawn level through Anna Hursey, whose disciplined counter-attacking game proved too good for Diya Chitale in the second match. The Welsh youngster prevailed 2-1 to extend her unbeaten run this season and make it 3-3 in the tie.

The momentum then swung decisively in U Mumba’s favour in the mixed doubles. Manush and Anna combined brilliantly to outclass S.F.R. Snehit and Prithika Pavade 3-0.

Manush’s sharp angles from deep behind the table complemented Anna’s consistency and composure in the crucial exchanges as the defending champion surged to a 6-3 lead, needing just two more games from the remaining two matches.

In the reverse men’s singles, Lilian Bardet produced another fearless display against Omar Assar, the highest-ranked player in the league at World No. 35.

A compulsive attacker who lives by the sword, the Frenchman stuck to his high-risk, high-reward game plan. It paid off as he battled to a 2-1 victory and virtually (8-4) sealing the tie.

Pune reduced the margin when Prithika Pavade defeated Anusha Kutumbale 2-1 in the final singles match.

The results: U Mumbai bt PBG Pune Jaguars 9-6 (Manush Shah lost to S.F.R. Snehit 11-6, 9-11, 6-11; Anna Hursey bt Diya Chitale 11-9, 9-11, 11-6; Manush & Anna bt Snehit & Prithika Pavade 11-9, 11-4, 11-7; Lilian Bardet bt Omar Assar 7-11, 11-7, 11-10; Anusha Kutumbale lost to Prithika Pavade 8-11, 10-11, 11-10).