India's men dominate the table tennis arena, blanking Indonesia 3-0 as the Asian Games 2026 swing into action

When the first table‑tennis matches of the Asian Games 2026 rolled out in Aichi‑Nagoya, the Indian men’s squad made sure they left a statement. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran opened the tie with a confident win, setting the tone for what would become a flawless 3‑0 victory over Indonesia.

Manav Thakkar then found himself in a genuine tug‑of‑war against Muhammad Junindra. The game stretched to five intense rallies, the scores swinging like a pendulum – 11‑7, 8‑11, 11‑6, 6‑11, 11‑9. In the end, Thakkar’s composure under pressure earned India a comfortable 2‑0 lead.

Closing the encounter, Manush Shah didn’t waste any time. He dispatched Affan Pratama in straight games, 11‑9, 11‑9, 12‑10, sealing the tie and giving the Indian camp an early confidence boost.

It wasn’t just the paddles that sang. India’s medal haul began with a silver in the women’s 10 m air‑rifle team event, courtesy of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod. In the combat arena, Suchika Tariyal clinched a medal in the women’s 60 kg traditional MMA after a hard‑fought win over Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa. The women’s hockey side also announced their arrival with a staggering 19‑0 demolition of Uzbekistan, while the women’s table‑tennis team mirrored the men’s success with another 3‑0 triumph over Indonesia.

Cricket added its own headline. During the women’s T20I semi‑final against Bangladesh, opener Smriti Mandhana brushed past the legendary Suzie Bates to become the highest run‑scorer in women’s T20 Internationals, now sitting on 4 765 runs. The win paves the way for an all‑India final against Sri Lanka.

All in all, the opening day painted a promising picture for Team India across multiple sports, and the table‑tennis triumph was perhaps the brightest flicker of the morning.