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Vivaan Dave Wins Two Golds at Gujarat State Table Tennis Meet

Vivaan Dave wins U17 and U19 gold at Gujarat State Table Tennis Championships

Fourteen-year-old table tennis player Vivaan Dave won gold medals in both the Under-17 and Under-19 categories at the Gujarat State Table Tennis Championships 2026, held in Gandhidham from 16 to 20 October. His victories came against players older than him and added to a strong season that has included national and international medals.

Dave, who was previously ranked No. 2 in India in the Under-15 category, joined Adani Sportsline’s ‘Garv Hai’ athlete programme on 1 August 2026. His latest state-level results follow a series of performances that have established him among the young players to watch in Indian table tennis.

The double gold in Gandhidham came after Dave won the Under-17 title at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championship in Kanpur in August. He defeated Karnataka’s Atharva Navrange in a five-game final, winning 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4. Navrange took the opening game and later levelled the match at 2-2, but Dave secured the deciding game to claim the title.

The Kanpur tournament, held from 16 to 23 August at The Sports Hub, drew around 3,100 players from across India. It featured 12 categories, including Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 events for boys and girls, alongside senior men’s and women’s competitions. Dave’s victory came in a field that brought together players from different states and age groups.

His international results have also added to his record in 2026. Dave won silver in the Under-15 category at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender event in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, before earning bronze in the same age category at the WTT Youth Contender tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. These events give young players opportunities to compete against opponents from other countries and gain experience in international matches.

Dave also won two gold medals at the UTT 87th Inter-State Sub-Junior and Cadet National Table Tennis Championship in 2025. He finished first in both the Under-15 individual and team events. The results showed his ability to compete in individual matches as well as contribute to a team contest.

He first picked up a table tennis racket at the age of five. Since then, he has taken part in competitions at state, national and international levels. His stated ambition is to represent India at the Olympic Games and win a gold medal for the country.

For a player of his age, regular competition and access to suitable equipment can make a difference to training and performance. Table tennis requires quick reactions, precise placement and the ability to respond to an opponent’s shots in a fraction of a second. Players must also adjust their tactics during a match, particularly when facing opponents with more experience.

Adani Sportsline’s ‘Garv Hai’ programme provides Dave with table tennis kit and other required equipment. It also covers arrangements for his travel to the competitions in which he takes part. The support is intended to help him meet the practical needs of training and competing while continuing to develop his game.

The programme forms part of Adani Sportsline’s wider work in sports development. According to Adani Enterprises’ 2025-26 annual report, ‘Garv Hai’ began in 2016 as a nationwide initiative to support talented athletes from underprivileged backgrounds. The report stated that 26 athletes had received support through the programme to date, including seven during the year covered by the report.

For young competitors, such assistance can help with costs linked to equipment and travel, especially when tournaments take place in different cities or countries. Continued support, however, must go hand in hand with coaching, regular practice and opportunities to compete against strong opponents.

Dave’s next scheduled competition is the WTT Youth Contender in Chennai, which is due to take place from 23 to 26 October 2026. He is also expected to compete at the National Ranking Table Tennis Championship in Punjab later this year.

The Chennai event will give him another chance to test his skills against international youth players shortly after his state championship victories. The Punjab tournament will offer a further opportunity to compete within India’s national ranking circuit.

Reflecting on his performance in Gandhidham, Dave said: “Winning gold in both the U17 and U19 categories at the state championships is a proud moment for me. I was playing against older and more experienced players, so every match was a good test, and I learned a lot from it. I started playing table tennis when I was five, and my dream has always been to play for India at the Olympics and win a gold medal for my country. Adani Sportsline has helped me with sourcing my kit, equipment and facilitating my travel; this allows me to focus completely on my training and performance,” said Vivaan.

At 14, Dave has already collected medals at state, national and international events. His upcoming competitions will provide further tests as he continues to compete in higher age categories and works towards his ambition of representing India at the Olympics.