Manush Shah and Diya Chitale finish runners-up at WTT Star Contender Brazil

Indian table tennis duo Manush Shah and Diya Chitale fell just short of a second title this season, finishing as runners-up in the mixed doubles final at the WTT Star Contender in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.

The top-seeded Indian pair were beaten by Japanese qualifiers Satoshi Aida and Honoka Hashimoto in a tightly contested five-game final, losing 2-3 (4-11, 11-8, 11-5, 5-11, 2-11) on Sunday.

This was the second final of the season for Manush and Diya, who had earlier clinched the mixed doubles crown at a WTT Contender event in Tunis. Their solid run in Brazil once again underlined their growing consistency on the international circuit.

Manush Shah also featured in the men’s doubles final alongside partner Manav Thakkar. The Indian pair put up a strong fight but eventually went down 2-3 (3-11, 11-7, 7-11, 15-13, 5-11) to Germany’s second-seeded duo Benedikt Duda and Dang Qiu in a 42-minute thriller.

Despite the losses, the twin finals marked another encouraging chapter for Indian paddlers at the WTT events this season.