Manush Shah Exclusive: Vadodara Boy's 'Process over Results' - Kidney Injury, Virat Kohli, India's Table Tennis Dream

As the Indian Table Tennis contingent prepares for the upcoming Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) and the subsequent Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, Manush Shah is certain to be a key figure.

The Vadodara boy has emerged as one of India's most prominent promises in Table Tennis, and with an upsurge in form, Manush will have an eye to take the next step in his career.

Recently, MyKhel caught up with the Indian paddler for an Exclusive Interview, where he opened up on his journey, which has been a rollercoaster ride.

The Beginning

A childhood kidney injury could have kept Manush Shah away from sport altogether. Instead, it became the turning point that introduced him to table tennis, a game that has since transformed him into one of India's brightest paddlers.

Fresh from winning the WTT Feeder title in his hometown of Vadodara, Shah reflected on his inspiring journey, India's growing ambitions in world table tennis, and the mindset that continues to drive his success.

"I had taken up the sport because of a very serious kidney injury, which didn't allow me to play any outdoor sport. So I took up table tennis as a recreational leisure activity just to channelize my restlessness," Shah said.

What began as a recreational pursuit soon turned into a serious passion. His coach noticed his natural talent and encouraged him to participate in a district-level tournament. Although Shah lost in the opening round, the experience ignited a competitive spark that has never faded.

"I understood how amazing it feels to compete. I lost in the first round, but my feeling was something that I wanted to experience again and again," he recalled.

That desire to compete propelled him through district and state competitions before making his first appearance at the Under-12 National Championships in 2012. It was then that he realised table tennis could become much more than a hobby.

Home triumph fuels bigger ambitions

Winning the WTT Feeder title in Vadodara was one of Shah's major objectives this season. Competing in front of home fans while collecting valuable ranking points made the victory even more satisfying.

He carried that confidence into subsequent tournaments in Doha and Muscat, producing consistent performances in both singles and doubles. One of the biggest milestones came in mixed doubles, where he and his partner captured the title against strong Asian opposition.

"We could cross that line where we started to believe that we can also be among the top Asian powerhouses of the world," Shah said.

Alongside Manav Thakkar, Shah has also established himself as one of India's strongest doubles players. Their historic semifinal appearance at the Singapore Smash reinforced their belief that they can regularly challenge the world's best.

Confident about India's chances

With the Asian Games approaching, Shah believes India has assembled one of its strongest men's squads in recent years.

He feels the combination of experienced campaigners like Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai, along with younger players such as Manav Thakkar, Payas Jain and himself, gives India the perfect balance.

"I feel honestly, it is one of the strongest teams that we have had in quite some time."

According to Shah, the key lies in preparing together as a unit and believing that India can compete with the sport's traditional powerhouses.

The comeback mentality

One quality that has defined Shah's career is his ability to recover from difficult situations. During the WTT Feeder final in Vadodara, he bounced back after trailing by two games to claim the title.

While admitting he would always prefer straightforward victories, Shah explained that he often needs time to fully understand an opponent's tactics before making adjustments.

"Of course, I would want to win 3-0," he smiled. Despite trailing 0-2, he never doubted his ability to turn the match around. "I told my coach that I have a belief that I can do it from 0-2 down."

Success lies in the details

As Shah's international ranking has improved, so has the challenge of balancing singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles. Rather than making major technical changes, his training now revolves around fine-tuning footwork, improving racket angles and making small technical corrections. Recovery has become equally important.

"As my rankings have improved, I play deep into all three events. Managing my workload is my biggest challenge," he explained.

His training is designed not only to improve performance but also to ensure his body remains fresh enough to cope with an increasingly demanding schedule.

India's biggest challenge is mental

Although Indian table tennis has made remarkable progress in recent years, Shah believes the next step requires a stronger mindset.

"I feel the mental aspect is the number one," he said.

According to him, Indian players must step onto the table believing they can defeat anyone, including the world's top-ranked Chinese players.

He pointed to the narrow defeat against the world No.1 pair at the 2023 Asian Games as the moment when he and Manav Thakkar realised they belonged among the elite despite falling just short of a medal.

Learning from Virat Kohli

Away from table tennis, Shah continues to draw inspiration from cricket icon Virat Kohli. Although his hectic travel schedule limits the time he spends watching cricket, Kohli's mentality continues to influence him.

"I have looked up to him since I was really young. I relate a little bit with his journey, the aggression he has and the characteristics he possesses. I'm trying to learn as much as possible from him."

Family and coach shaped the journey

Coming from an academically accomplished family, with his mother being a doctor and his father a chartered accountant, pursuing professional sport was not an obvious choice. Shah admitted that convincing his parents was difficult in the early years, but their faith gradually grew as his results improved.

"They are basically the backbone of my sporting career because without their support, I wouldn't have been where I am today."

He also credited his childhood coach, Shailesh Gosai, for laying the foundation of both his career and character. According to Shah, Gosai taught him everything from holding a racket correctly to maintaining discipline, following a proper diet and dealing with challenges on and off the table.

Having competed across the globe, Shah believes India still trails leading table tennis nations in terms of infrastructure. He highlighted the absence of a dedicated national training centre as one of the biggest gaps compared to countries such as China, Japan and South Korea.

"We don't have a national training centre, which is a bare minimum requirement for a national team."

While acknowledging that facilities have improved over the years with government support, Shah believes there is still considerable work to be done before India reaches the standards of the world's elite.

Process over results

For aspiring players hoping to represent India, Shah offered a simple but powerful message. Instead of becoming obsessed with winning every tournament, athletes should focus on improving one aspect of their game every day.

"My goals would be process-oriented rather than result-oriented. If I want to learn one serve, I would just focus on that. Whether I win or lose doesn't matter to that process."

In recent times, Manush has also stepped up in the Mixed Doubles, winning three WTT Contender titles with Diya Chitale. The pair won in Tunis last year, and backed that up with two more wins in Muscat and Lagos this year.

Before the Asian Games, Manush is set to feature in the UTT for the U Mumba TT team, as seven teams are set to battle for the franchise tournament in Goa. And then come the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games - which can propel Manush towards 'SuperHuman' status in the Indian Table Tennis diaspora.

But as the 'Cho Le' screams reverberate across the tables, Manush has already proved that devotion and hard work can transform anyone's path from adversity to excellence.