Indian table tennis produced one of its most emphatic youth performances on the global stage as the country’s rising paddlers returned from Doha with a rich haul of medals from the 2026 WTT Youth Star Contender Doha.
With 10 medals across gold, silver and bronze, India not only topped the headlines but also sent a clear message about the growing depth and quality of its junior pipeline.
What made the Doha performance particularly significant was the way Indian players asserted themselves across multiple age groups, disciplines and match situations. From all-Indian finals to victories over top-seeded European and East Asian pairs, India’s youngsters showed composure, tactical clarity and a level of belief that is increasingly becoming a trademark of the country’s next generation.
U-15 girls set the tone
The standout story of the tournament came in the Under-15 girls’ singles, where India swept the entire podium. Ahona Ray claimed the gold medal, defeating compatriot Ankolika Chakraborty in the final, while Naisha Rewaskar secured bronze, making it a clean Indian sweep in one of the most competitive junior categories on the WTT circuit.
For Indian table tennis, this was more than just a statistical achievement. It underlined how the grassroots and junior development system is beginning to produce multiple players of similar international quality, rather than isolated talents. The fact that three Indian girls could progress through an international draw and occupy every step of the podium reflects both technical maturity and mental toughness at a very young age.
Ankolika and Naisha also combined in the U-15 girls’ doubles, where they reached the final and won silver, further highlighting the cohesion and tactical understanding within this group.
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India’s gold rush truly gathered pace in the mixed doubles events. In the Under-19 mixed doubles, Divyanshi Bhowmick and P.B. Abhinand produced one of the most impressive performances of the tournament. Seeded sixth, the Indian pair took on the top-seeded Spanish-Slovak duo of Maria Berzosa and Samuel Arpas in the final and came through with a confident 3–1 victory (11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9) to lift the title.
The win was a demonstration of how Indian youngsters are no longer intimidated by ranking or reputation. Divyanshi and Abhinand played with freedom and clarity, absorbing pressure in the second game before regaining control through aggressive placement and quick transitions at the table. In the Under-15 mixed doubles, top seeds Ankolika Chakraborty and Aditya Das were equally dominant. They swept past the Chinese Taipei pair Lam Yenugula and Man Lam in straight games (14-12, 11-3, 12-10) to take the gold, showing maturity beyond their years in the crucial moments of each game.
Doubles strength on display
India’s dominance extended into the doubles events. Aakash Rajavelu and Rishaan Chattopadhyay claimed the Under-15 boys’ doubles gold, defeating higher-seeded opponents en route to the title. Their run to the championship included an upset over a Sri Lankan-Malaysian pair in the semifinals before they sealed the crown with a composed 3-0 win in the final.
In the Under-19 girls’ doubles, Divyanshi Bhowmick and Syndrela Das added another gold to India’s tally by beating a strong Korean pair, Heo and Jeong, in the final. The victory showcased not just their technical quality but also their ability to handle fast-paced rallies and tactical variations, which are increasingly common in elite junior table tennis.
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Beyond the all-Indian U-15 podium, Indian players also made their presence felt in the older age groups. P.B. Abhinand picked up a silver medal in the Under-19 boys’ singles, confirming his status as one of India’s most promising male prospects. Divyanshi Bhowmick added a bronze in the Under-19 girls’ singles, while Aditya Das took bronze in the Under-15 boys’ singles, rounding off a balanced and multi-disciplinary medal haul.
These results mattered because they showed that India’s success was not limited to one or two standout events. Instead, Indian paddlers were consistently present in the business end of tournaments across age categories and formats.
The 10-medal haul in Doha was not just about numbers. It was about the manner in which Indian players competed with confidence, tactical awareness and the ability to close out big matches against strong international opposition. Over the last decade, India’s table tennis ecosystem has invested heavily in junior development, international exposure and scientific training, and the Doha results were a visible return on that investment.
As India looks ahead to bigger stages from world youth championships to senior WTT events this generation is clearly better prepared than any before it.
Doha may have been a youth tournament, but the performances carried a message far beyond junior competition: Indian table tennis is building a future that looks increasingly global, competitive and fearless.
