The WTT Feeder series | Manush leads a strong Indian men’s field; women face uphill task

Defending national champion Manush Shah will return to his hometown as a favourite to lift an international title. But beyond the spotlight on Manush and Harmeet Desai, the next five days at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex will offer India’s emerging table tennis players a valuable opportunity to earn crucial international ranking points.

The WTT Feeder series event — the entry-level international ranking tournament with a prize pool of $30,000 — is expected to play a key role in shaping the immediate futures of several Indian paddlers, who will be looking to either improve their or break into the world rankings.

However, the tournament is far from being an extension of a domestic ranking event. Players from 10 countries, including the host nation, will compete for top honours. India’s women, in particular, face a stiff challenge.

Korea’s Yang Haeun (World No. 68), Park Gahyeon (75) and Yoo Yerin (78) occupy the top three seedings, with teammate Lee Zion (111) seeded sixth in the women’s singles draw. India’s hopes rest on Yashaswini Ghorpade (85) and Ayhika Mukherjee (93).

In contrast, India’s men enter the event as strong title contenders, with six of the top eight seeds belonging to the host nation. Canadian Olympian Edward Ly (126) is seeded fourth, while Iran’s Navid Shams (185) is the eighth seed.

Manush (75) will be keen to begin the New Year with a title, while Harmeet (78) will be eager to start 2026 on a positive note. Yet, the spotlight will also be on the next rung of Indian male paddlers who have made significant strides over the past year.

S.F.R. Snehit (118), Ankur Bhattacharjee (132) and Payas Jain (149) — all of whom debuted for India at the Asian team championships three months ago — will be keen to underline their progress. Akash Pal (131), seeded fifth, will also be eager to keep himself in contention for a place in India’s Commonwealth Games squad later this year.

The opening two days will feature qualification rounds across all five events, with India head coach Massimo Costantini closely monitoring the proceedings.