Jammu's table tennis halls were packed and loud this week as the 2nd UTT J&K Ranking Table Tennis Championships 2026 wrapped up after three days of fast-paced action. Held in Jammu from July 12 to 14 and organised by the Table Tennis Association of J&K in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council, the championship drew more than 230 paddlers from across the Union Territory.
In the Men's Singles final, Maanay Mansotra edged past Akash in a nail-biting five-game contest, winning 3-2 to claim the title. The Women's Singles crown went to Nitya Arora, who got the better of Mishthi Aggarwal 3-1 in a composed final.
But the story that had everyone talking was the depth of young talent on show. Syrah Dewan stole the limelight, sweeping three gold medals across the Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15 girls' categories — a remarkable haul for a single championship. Among the boys, Samar Dev Bansal impressed with two titles, winning both the Under-15 and Under-17 categories.
Ranking championships like this one are the unglamorous engine room of the sport. They give players across age groups a structured ladder to climb, generate the rankings that decide who represents the UT at national events, and — crucially — give young paddlers from Jammu regular, competitive match play close to home. For a teenager weighing whether to take the sport seriously, a well-run event on their own turf is often the moment it starts to feel real.
With over 230 entries and a clutch of standout juniors, the second edition suggests table tennis in Jammu is in healthy shape — and that the next Maanay or Nitya may already be somewhere in the Under-11 draw.
Source: Daily Excelsior.
