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Manush Shah & Diya Chitale Clinch WTT Contender Muscat Mixed Doubles Crown

The Indian pair of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale won the mixed doubles title at the WTT Contender Muscat 2026. They defeated China's Huang Youzheng and Shi Xunyao in a tense five-game final. The victory marks their second WTT Contender mixed doubles crown, having previously won in Tunis. The duo also staged a remarkable comeback from two games down to win their semi-final.

Key Points: Indian Duo Wins WTT Contender Muscat Mixed Doubles Title

  • 3-2 win in final
  • Second WTT Contender title
  • Overcame 2-game deficit in semis
  • Valuable for ranking points
  • Men's doubles semi-final run
2 min read

Manush, Diya capture mixed doubles title at WTT Contender Muscat

Manush Shah and Diya Chitale win a thrilling 5-game final at WTT Contender Muscat 2026, securing their second mixed doubles crown.

"eking out a brilliant five-game win - Olympics.com"

Muscat, January 24

Indian table tennis duo of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale secured the mixed doubles title at the World Table Tennis Contender Muscat 2026, eking out a brilliant five-game win at Sultan Qaboos Sport Complex in Oman.

On Friday, the third-seeded Indian pair defeated China's fourth-seeded Huang Youzheng and Shi Xunyao 3-2 (11-5, 5-11, 11-5, 5-11, 13-11) in a title clash that lasted 37 minutes to secure their second mixed doubles crown at the WTT Contender event, as per Olympics.com.

Currently ranked at number eight, Manush and Diya had earlier won the WTT Contender Tunis title in April last year, outclassing Japan's Sora Matsushima and Miwa Harimoto 3-2 in the final; the latter was also a part of Japan's silver medal-winning team at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The Muscat triumph was set up with a strong comeback in the semifinals, where the Indian duo overturned a two-game deficit to beat France's Thibault Poret and Charlotte Lutz 3-2 (10-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8).

Manush and Diya started their run in the tournament with a 3-2 win over China's Chen Yuanyu and Han Feier in the pre-quarters, followed by a fine showing in the quarterfinals, where they beat Singapore's Pang Koen and Zeng Jian 3-1.

These WTT Contender events provide players with valuable ranking points, which help them make their case for higher-tier WTT Champions and Super Smash competitions.

India also witnessed Manush enjoying a fine men's doubles run with Manav Thakkar as they reached the semifinals, before losing to China's Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 7-11).

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So proud of them! They've been consistent. Winning back-to-back Contender titles is no small feat. Hope they get more coverage and support from the federation. We need to nurture such talent.
R
Rohit P
The semifinal comeback was the key! From 0-2 down to win 3-2 shows their mental strength. These wins against top nations will do wonders for their confidence. On to bigger tournaments now!
S
Sarah B
Great to see Indian athletes excelling in a sport traditionally dominated by East Asian countries. The mixed doubles format is exciting. Wishing them the best for the upcoming Champions events.
V
Vikram M
A respectful note: while the win is brilliant, the article mentions they are ranked 8th. To truly challenge for Olympic medals, they need to break into the top 3 or 4 consistently. The journey has just begun. More power to them!
D
Divya L
Yay! 🏓 Another title for the cabinet. Beating China, Japan, and France in one tournament is seriously impressive. Hope schools in India start promoting table tennis more after such successes.

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