Asian Games: India’s medal tally hits 20; Manush Shah, Diya Chitale win blended doubles desk tennis bronze

India’s medal tally on the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya reached twenty on Friday as Manush Shah and Diya Chitale gained a historic bronze medal within the blended doubles desk tennis occasion.The Indian pair misplaced their semifinal to China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha 8-11, 5-11, 8-11, 2-11, however completed on the rostrum with a bronze medal.It is simply India’s second-ever medal in blended doubles desk tennis on the Asian Games. The first got here in Jakarta in 2018, when Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra additionally gained bronze.With the presence of China, Japan and South Korea, profitable an Asian Games medal is as powerful because it will get.The partnership between Manush and Diya has grown steadily since they teamed up in October 2023. While it’s common for gamers to modify companions on the WTT Tour due to scheduling, Manush and Diya have continued to play solely with one another.The left-handed Manush and right-handed Diya complement one another’s kinds. Manush depends on his energy sport from each flanks, whereas Diya’s function is to create alternatives for him to complete factors.The medal additionally comes throughout a robust section in Manush’s profession. He is at present India’s highest-ranked males’s singles participant at World No. 43.After their Asian Games podium end, Manush and Diya, who’re supported by the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), will now look in the direction of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.