Mumbai, Sept. 25 -- The beginning of the Manush Shah and Diya Chitale partnership was more out of chance. Not among the top individual players in the national team in 2023, the young Indians did not have partners to dabble with in doubles. And so they thought of teaming up and giving mixed doubles a shot.

That shot has hit the mark at the 2026 Asian Games.

Manush and Diya assured a rare medal for India in table tennis after upsetting Hong Kong's Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem, the 2025 World Championships bronze medallists, 3-1 in the mixed doubles quarter-finals on Friday.

It's a half miracle, as India's foreign TT coach Massimo Costantini summed up in his initial reaction after the victory. This is also because it is just the fourth ...