Anusha, Priyanuj headline host wild cards at WTT Star Contender Chennai

Chennai, Feb 2 (PTI) Anusha Kutumbale and Priyanuj Bhattacharyya headline India’s wild card entries as the country is set to field a record 23 players in the main draw and 33 overall participants at the WTT

Star Contender Chennai, scheduled from February 10 to 15.

Anusha, a finalist at the WTT Feeder Series Vadodara 2026 in women’s singles, and Priyanuj, the WTT Youth Contender Vadodara 2026 boys’ U-19 singles champion, are among the prominent Indian names to receive wild cards.

All the four host wild cards in the women’s singles category went to Indian paddlers with Anusha joined by Sayali Wani, Kavya Bhatt and Taneesha Kotecha, while Anirban Ghosh and Divyansh Srivastava joined Priyanuj in the main draw and Frenchman Remi Betelu is the fourth host wild card entrant in men’s singles.

The second edition of the WTT Star Contender Chennai will feature an enhanced prize purse of USD 300,000 with legendary Achanta Sharath Kamal serving as the Event Director, having retired from professional table tennis at this very event last year.

The talented Abhinandh Pradhivadhi, part of the historic bronze medal winning trio at the ITTF World Youth Championship team events, has been given the WTT Youth wild card in men’s singles, while 2025 Asian Youth Champion Divyanshi Bhowmick getting the Youth wild card in women’s singles.

Indian challenge in men’s singles will be led by last edition semi-finalist and world number 33 Manav Thakkar with the likes of WTT Feeder Series Vadodara 2026 winner Manush Shah, the experienced G Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai also making it to the main draw.

Manush Shah and national champion Diya Chitale, who became the first Indian pair to qualify for the WTT Finals qualifiers, had received a wild card in the singles category last year and will now be playing in the main draw as a direct entrant.

WTT Feeder Vadodara 2026 runners-up Mudit Dani along with Anirban Ghosh have been given a wild card in men’s doubles along with the Swedish combination of Kristian Karlsson and Elias Ranefur.

WTT Feeder Vadodara 2026 winners duo of Syndrela Das & Payas Jain got a wild card in mixed doubles, while the women’s doubles wild card went to Swastika Ghosh of India and Sarah De Nutte of Luxembourg.

WTT Feeder Vadodara 2026 winner Ryu Hanna of Republic of Korea and Japan’s Kotomi Omoda are the two foreign players to get a women’s singles wild card via WTT Nomination. Korea’s Kang Dongsoo and France’s Esteban Dorr received WTT nominations in men’s singles. PTI ATK KHS