Bengaluru Paddler Yashaswini Ghorpade Selected for 2026 Asian Games
Bengaluru-based table tennis player Yashaswini Ghorpade has secured a spot in the Indian national squad for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The 21-year-old Karnataka paddler will return to Bengaluru to undergo a crucial three-week training camp under her long-time coach, Anshuman Roy, at the UTT-Skies High Performance Centre to prepare for the tournament, which begins on September 20.
With three months left to sharpen her skills before heading to Japan, Ghorpade is scheduled to build momentum through a series of high-profile tournaments. Her preparation begins with the United States Smash starting this Friday, followed by the Europe Smash in Sweden in August. She is also slated to compete in the Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi and domestic national ranking events.
Speaking about the upcoming challenge, Ghorpade noted that Asian players from nations like China, Korea, and Japan are traditionally strong in table tennis. She stated that she needs to be at her best to make a mark in her first multi-sport event, adding that her focus is primarily on the Asian Games while taking the preceding tournaments one at a time.
Following her tournament in the United States, Ghorpade will base her training at the UTT-Skies High Performance Centre in Bengaluru. Roy, who has coached her for the past 14 years, explained that while no drastic changes are needed in her game, the training will focus heavily on match tactics, physical fitness, and mental preparation.
To simulate the competition she will face in Japan, Roy is working to bring international sparring partners to the Bengaluru center. He is currently in financial discussions to secure Malaysian and Korean players with playing styles similar to those Ghorpade will encounter at the Games. Roy will also accompany her to the national ranking tournaments in August.
Despite her young age, Ghorpade has already accumulated significant international experience. In March, she won a silver medal at the WTT Feeder Cappadocia in Turkey, and she made her World Team Table Tennis Championship debut in London during April and May.
