Indian paddlers suffer heavy losses ahead of Asian Games: Worrying signs from Almaty and Macao

In less than two weeks between late August and early September 2026, two of India's key table tennis players, Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar, suffered consecutive heavy losses at two important international tournaments: WTT Contender Almaty and WTT Champions Macao. Notably, these defeats came just before the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, for which both players are already on the traveling squad. At WTT Contender Almaty, Manush Shah lost to Russia's Denis Ivonin in the first round. Just days later, at WTT Champions Macao, more losses followed: Manush fell to Sweden's Anton Kallberg 0-3 (10-12, 5-11, 6-11), while Manav Thakkar first lost to sixth seed Alexis Lebrun (France) 1-3 (12-14, 4-11, 11-9, 3-11), and then to Japan's Harimoto Tomokazu, also in the first round in Macao. Looking at the score lines, a common pattern emerges: the opening sets were extremely tight and decided by minimal margins. Manush lost the first set to Kallberg 10-12, Manav lost the first set to Lebrun 12-14. This indicates that the Indian players were not outclassed technically, but failing to win those crucial moments appeared to affect their morale, leading to lopsided subsequent sets. However, context is crucial. Both Kallberg and Lebrun are top European players ranked significantly higher than Manush and Manav in singles. Alexis Lebrun was the sixth seed, and Harimoto Tomokazu has been a world top-five player. Losing in the first round of a WTT Champions event against such opponents is not unprecedented for players outside the world top 20. The most striking aspect is the contrast between singles and doubles performance. Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar are the world No. 3 men's doubles pair, an impressive ranking. Their consecutive singles losses suggest they may be prioritizing preparation for doubles – where India has higher medal expectations at the upcoming Asian Games. According to expert analysis, their packed schedule moving from Almaty to Macao and the “Europe Smash” reflects a clear strategy: using international tournaments as sharpening tools before the major event, rather than closed-door training camps. This approach is not inherently flawed, but the poor results in the final sprint raise questions about whether the heavy match load is dulling their edge. A contrarian perspective: looking at the close sets, Manav Thakkar did win the third set against Alexis Lebrun 11-9. This shows he can adjust between games and find solutions against tough opponents. However, the inability to sustain that adjustment led to a swift collapse (3-11) in the fourth set – a common pattern among less experienced players in high-pressure moments. Overall, this losing streak is not a crisis, but it is a clear wake-up call. Manush and Manav need to improve their singles form if they want to be genuine weapons for Indian table tennis on big stages. Conversely, if India's focus at Aichi-Nagoya is on men's doubles and team events, these results may be merely part of a long-term preparation process that does not compromise their medal chances. At this point, India's Asian Games squad is finalized and Manush-Manav remain on the traveling team. But if they fail to regain their touch and composure in decisive moments soon, India's table tennis medal dreams in Nagoya may have to rely more on women's events or team competitions. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will be the real test for this world No. 3 doubles pair. All they need to do now is turn these small defeats into big lessons before stepping onto the continental stage.