The championships will feature separate men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions, the Swaythling Cup and the Corbillon Cup, with each tie comprising a maximum of five singles matches. Teams need to secure three wins to clinch a tie and advance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A total of 64 teams will compete in both categories, split into 16 groups of four. The tournament structure includes two preliminary stages before the knockout rounds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Top-seeded sides, including the seven highest-ranked teams along with hosts England, will compete in Stage 1a, from where all eight teams will progress directly to Stage 2. While they are assured of qualification, their group-stage performances will determine seeding for the knockouts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The remaining teams, including India, will begin in Stage 1b. From this stage, 14 group winners and the six best second-placed teams will advance directly to Stage 2. The other eight second-placed teams will contest an additional playoff round for the final four knockout berths.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The knockout phase will commence from the Round of 32 and culminate in the finals on May 10.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India\u2019s men\u2019s team, led by World No. 38 Manav Thakkar, has been placed in Group 7 of Stage 1b alongside Slovakia, Tunisia, and Guatemala. Meanwhile, the women\u2019s side, captained by world No. 49 Manika Batra, will compete in Group 6 with Ukraine, Uganda, and Rwanda.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
First held as an independent competition in 2000, the World Team Championships have largely been dominated by the People's Republic of China, which has claimed most of the titles since its inception. Sweden and Singapore remain the only other nations to have broken China\u2019s dominance, winning the men\u2019s (2000) and women\u2019s (2010) titles, respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With a balanced mix of experience and emerging talent, the Indian contingent will look to navigate the group stage successfully and mount a strong challenge in the knockout rounds.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India squad for World Team Table Tennis Championships:<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Men\u2019s team: Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, G Sathiyan, Harmeet Desai, Payas Jain<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India squad for World Team Table Tennis Championships:<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Where to watch: The World Team Table Tennis Championships 2026 will be live-streamed on the WTT website. The event will be telecast on Eurosport TV channels in India.<\/p>\r\n\r\n