Indian Table Tennis Galloping Ahead!

Indian Table Tennis: Rising Stars Shine as Domestic Season Heats Up

By Menas Jagadish

New Delhi, November 24, 2025 — Indian table tennis is experiencing a dynamic period of transition and growth. With the conclusion of several national-level tournaments in November and major events looming in December, the spotlight is firmly on emerging talents who are making their mark both locally and internationally.

Rising Talents Make History

The past few weeks have been particularly notable for India's young paddlers. The mixed doubles pair of Diya Chitale and Manush Shah made history by becoming the first Indian duo to qualify for the prestigious WTT Finals, a significant milestone for Indian table tennis on the global stage. Their achievement highlights the increasing depth of talent in the country.

Meanwhile, rising stars Syndrela Das and Divyanshi Bhowmick have soared to the World No. 1 ranking in their respective junior categories, showcasing India's strong pipeline of future champions.

National Tournaments Conclude, Next Events Announced

November saw the conclusion of the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Panchkula, Haryana, and Indore, Madhya Pradesh. These events provided crucial platforms for players to compete and earn ranking points.

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has announced the upcoming schedule, with the focus now shifting to the following events:

• UTT 2nd National PARA Ranking Table Tennis Championships 2025-26: Scheduled for December 2–4, 2025, in Vadodara, Gujarat.
• UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships-2025 (Ranchi): Set to take place from December 6–13, 2025, in Hotwar, Ranchi, Jharkhand. The entry window for players closes on November 25, 2025.
• 52nd All India Institutional Table Tennis Championships 2025: Hosted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from December 24–30, 2025.

These tournaments are vital for the continued development and competitive readiness of the nation's players.

International Outlook and Preparations

Looking ahead, India has already secured berths for both men's and women's teams at the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships Finals in London, having qualified through the South Asian Regional Championships in August.

The recent Asian Table Tennis Team Championships 2025, hosted in Bhubaneswar, provided invaluable experience, with India's young squads testing their mettle against continental powerhouses like China, Japan, and South Korea. The men's team's medal streak came to an end in the quarterfinals against Hong Kong, but the performance offered key insights into areas for improvement as the team prepares for future international assignments, including the Commonwealth Games.

The Indian table tennis community remains optimistic, with a strong emphasis on nurturing emerging talent and aiming for greater success on the international circuit. Fans can find more information and event details on the official Table Tennis Federation of India website.

TTFI will not hire Foreign coach

India's official Table Tennis Federation, TTFI will not hire a foreign head coach for the Rio Olympics of 2016. Instead, top officials have decided to appoint two Asian coaches for the Junior TT teams.

This decision is expected to have adverse consequences on the Women's team and does not affected the Men's team (whose members train in Europe).

Photo: TheHindu.com

TTFI moving up the ATTU and ITTF ladder

India's clout in the World of Table Tennis is increasing exponentially.

Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) Secretary General, Mr Dhanraj Choudhary, has been re-elected as the Honorary Treasurer of the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) at the General Council Meeting of the Asian body. Former Table Tennis great Cai Zhenhua of China and  Tony Yue of Hong Kong were elected President and secretary general.

It is worth noting that Dhanraj Choudhary was recently elected to the Board of Directors of ITTF at the Paris World Championships venue.

Other TTFI officials who earned terms on the ATTU were TTFI President Mr P C Chaturvedi (elected to General Council as member), TTFI Sr Vice President Mr Rajeev Bodas (nominated as Chairman of the Coaching and Junior Committee).

Ganeshan Neelakant Iyer, who has proven his mettle by conducting several international events as chief referee in India as well as abroad, was nominated to the Technical Committee as a full member.

These developments are very important for Table Tennis in India

TTFI supports Ajay Chautala after he is sentenced to 10 years imprisonment

The Table Tennis Federation of India supported it's President and Haryana MLA, Ajay Chautala, who was sentenced by a CBI court for 10 years imprisonment. The court ruled that Chautala was involved in a teacher's recruitment scam.

The federation said that Chautala did not plan to stand for re-election. TTFI has recently amended their constitution to adhere to the Sports Code by its Ministry.

Swedish Coach for India Table Tennis Team

Anders Johansson, a well know Swedish coach is set to take over the reigns of the Indian Table Tennis team. The last foreign coach, Massimo Constantini did not continue after the last Commonwealth and Asian games. Constantini now trains Rajul Seth's wards at the Milpitas center in the US.

Johansson is currently the coach of Ochsenhausen, in the league where India's top player, Sharath Kamal plays.

SAI has agreed to pay $5000 as monthly remuneration, with the remaining costs being borne by the TTFI.