Top-seeded India suffered a surprise defeat to Malaysia in the men’s team event on the opening day of the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships at the Thyagraj Stadium on Monday, delivering an early setback in a tournament where the hosts entered as favourites.
Despite boasting four players ranked inside the world’s top 100, India was unable to overcome an inspired Malaysian side led by Wong Qi Shen, whose standout performances proved decisive. Malaysia’s highest-ranked player, Wong entered the contest as World No. 202 but outplayed the odds by defeating both Harmeet Desai and World No. 38 Manav Thakkar to guide his team to a memorable victory.
India made a strong start through Manav Thakkar, who comfortably defeated Choong Javen to put the hosts ahead. However, the momentum shifted when Harmeet Desai, returning to international competition after missing Ultimate Table Tennis, was unable to match Wong’s consistency as Malaysia levelled the tie.
The visitors then moved ahead after Tey Hong Yu edged Manush Shah in a closely contested five-game encounter. Manush had entered the match on the back of helping U Mumba TT win the Ultimate Table Tennis title in Goa less than 24 hours earlier, but Malaysia held its nerve to take a crucial lead.
With India trailing, the responsibility fell on Manav to beat Wong and force the contest into a deciding match. The Indian mounted a spirited comeback in the fifth game after falling behind 6-10, saving three match points to keep India’s hopes alive. However, Wong finished the contest with a clinical backhand winner down the line, sealing a famous victory for Malaysia.
Despite the defeat, India’s hopes of progressing remain intact, as the top two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals.
Reflecting on the result, India coach Sourav Chakraborty described the loss as a valuable lesson rather than a major concern.
“Malaysia played out of their skins, and we were slightly off the mark. Perhaps you can call it a wake-up call, but I don’t think we have too much to worry about. It was just an off-day for all three of our players,” Chakraborty told Sportstar.
Earlier in the day, India had enjoyed a positive start to the championships, with the men’s team defeating Zimbabwe 3-0 and the women’s team registering an identical 3-0 victory over the Maldives. While the unexpected loss to Malaysia has provided an early challenge, India remains well placed to recover as the tournament progresses.
