Sathiyan Gnanasekaran makes history in Beirut, wins first-ever WTT Feeder title

Gnanasekaran takes singles crown, Thakkar reaches multiple doubles finals

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, a renowned Indian table tennis player, has made history by becoming the first Indian to win the men’s singles title at a WTT Feeder Series event in Beirut. Despite facing strong competition from his fellow countryman Manav Thakkar in the final, Sathiyan’s skills and resilience led him to victory.

The road to the championship was challenging for the 31-year-old. He faced skilled opponents like Harmeet Desai and Chuang Chih-Yuan, whom he defeated.

In the final, the 2022 Commonwealth Games double medalist faced a tough start against a fellow Indian opponent Thakkar. The 2018 Arjuna Awardee lost the first game, but he rallied back and won the next three games, resulting in a decisive 3-1 victory.

Sathiyan’s victory is notable because it’s his first international singles title since 2021. Additionally, it reflects the growing prominence of Indian table tennis, as evidenced by Manav Thakkar’s success in this tournament, reaching the finals in multiple categories. It comes on the back of historic Olympic berths for Indian table tennis teams.

Manav Thakkar also had a dream run until the finals, Manav turned over An Jaehyun former World Championships bronze medalist in the semifinals in a dominant 3-0 sweep.

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In the men’s doubles, Thakkar and Manush Shah faced a tough battle against the Cuban duo of Andy Pereira and Jorge Campos, eventually losing in a close 1-3 defeat.

In the mixed doubles final, Thakkar and Archana Kamath gave a spirited performance against Shah and Diya Chitale but ultimately lost 1-3 despite claiming one game.

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