Watch | Interview: TT national champion Manush Shah eyes Olympic medal

Manush Shah clinched his maiden senior national table tennis title in Surat recently and expressed joy and gratitude for the home support. The new champion from Gujarat, in an exclusive interview with Sports Buzz, said that he has set his eyes on breaking into the world’s top 50 rankings in 2025.

A special win in Gujarat

The 24-year-old Manush, representing Reserve Bank of India (RBI), emerged victorious in the men’s singles category at the senior TT Nationals, marking a significant milestone in his career. Speaking about the 4-1 win against Payas Jain (Delhi) in the final, Manush shared his excitement, stating, "It's really an amazing moment. Gujarat has always been lucky for me, and winning my first senior national title here makes it even more special."

Also read: TT national champ Diya reflects on her win

The local crowd played a crucial role in Manush’s triumph, cheering him on throughout the match. He acknowledged their support, saying, "The home crowd made a big difference. I could hear them cheering during the match, and their congratulations after my win meant a lot."

High on confidence

Manush, who has previously won sub-junior, junior, and youth titles, believes this victory will provide him with a strong boost as he prepares for international competitions in 2025. He emphasised the importance of this title, stating, "This is very special because seniors are where I’ll be playing for the rest of my life. I hope to win this title again and again."

Looking ahead, Manush has set ambitious targets for himself. "Currently, I'm ranked 78. My goal is to reach the top 60 by mid-2025 and break into the top 50 by the end of the year," he revealed. Additionally, he aims to secure top positions in doubles and mixed doubles events.

Next stop: Singapore Smash

Manush’s next challenge is the Singapore Smash, one of the biggest events of the year, which kicks off in just two days. "I hope to maintain my form and make India proud," he said.

As he progresses, he remains focused on his ultimate dream — winning an Olympic medal. With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics in sight, Manush said: "Winning an Olympic medal is every athlete’s dream, and I want to contribute my maximum to make it happen."

The content above has been generated using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.