a day ago
Ludhiana's Shubham bags two bronze medals at para TT tourney in Taipei
Ludhiana's own para table tennis star, Shubham Wadhwa, has once again demonstrated his talent on the global stage. Competing at the prestigious ITTF World Para Future tournament, held in Taipei, Taiwan, from June 26 to 29, the 29-year-old athlete secured two bronze medals – one in the men's doubles and another in the mixed doubles categories – bringing immense pride to both his city and the nation. Shubham Wadhwa (HT Photo)
In the men's doubles group stage, he stormed past the Taipei team with a dominating 3-0 victory. He kept the momentum going by edging out Singapore 3-2 in a thrilling quarter-final encounter. Although he fought valiantly, Wadhwa fell to Korea 1-3 in the semi-finals, securing a bronze medal.
A final-year engineering student, Wadhwa has had an extraordinary year on the table tennis circuit. Just three months ago, he captured the gold medal at the Khelo India Para Games 2025, held from March 24 to 26 in New Delhi. He swept the final match against Rajasthan's Madhuram with an impressive 3-0 scoreline, showcasing his skill and determination.
Prior to his Khelo India triumph, Wadhwa had already made headlines at the UTT 2nd Para Table Tennis National Ranking Championship 2024-25 in Vadodara, from March 21 to 23. Teaming up with Haryana's Ekta Bhyan in mixed doubles and Tamil Nadu's JD Madan in men's doubles, he secured two gold medals. His stellar form continued in singles, where he added a bronze to his medal tally.
Wadhwa's string of victories this year follows a silver medal performance at the ITTF World Para Future Costa Brava Spanish Open in March. Facing players from 25 countries, he reached the finals after hard-fought 3-2 wins over Hungary in the quarterfinals and France in the semi-finals. He was overpowered 0-3 by a French opponent in the final, making him a runner-up in the tournament.
Adding to his decorated career, Wadhwa won gold in men's singles Class-3 at the UTT Para Table Tennis National Ranking Championship in Indore in November 2023. He continued his golden run with three golds at the UTT Para Table Tennis National Championship in March 2023, and yet another gold in mixed doubles at the ITTF Fa40 Thailand Para Open in July last year.
Wadhwa's relentless pursuit of excellence and his ability to consistently deliver on both national and international platforms serves as an inspiration for young para sportspersons.
