India’s men’s table tennis team pulled off a strong comeback to beat Slovakia 3–2 in a tense Group 7 match at the ITTF World Team Championships. The win took India to the top of the group and boosted their chances ahead of their next tie against Guatemala.
Slovakia started well, with Lubomir Pistej defeating Manush Shah in a closely fought five-game match to give his team the lead.
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India hit back through Manav Thakkar, their top-ranked player, who comfortably beat Jakub Zelinka in straight games to level the score at 1–1.
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Slovakia went ahead again in the third match, as Wang Yang outplayed Harmeet Desai with a solid performance, putting India under pressure at 1–2.
But India responded when it mattered most. Manav produced a dominant display to beat Pistej in straight games and bring India level again. In the deciding match, Manush Shah held his nerve and defeated Zelinka in straight games to seal a 3–2 victory for India.
Earlier, India’s women’s team also secured a 3–2 win over Ukraine in a crucial Group 6 match, keeping their qualification hopes alive and putting them in a strong position to finish on top of the group.
Both the men’s and women’s teams will play their final group matches against Rwanda later tonight, with the ties set to begin at 10 pm IST.
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