Aug 06, 2024 : In a tough contest, India’s men’s table tennis team was defeated 0-3 by China in the pre-quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics, concluding their campaign. Veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal displayed notable resistance, but the team struggled against their formidable opponents.
The opening doubles match saw Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar lose to the Chinese pair Ma Long and Chuqin Wang with scores of 2-11, 3-11, and 7-11. In singles action, Sharath Kamal initially impressed by winning the first game 11-9 against Olympic champion Fan Zhendong. However, Zhendong recovered to win the next three games 11-7, 11-7, 11-5, leaving India trailing 0-2 in the tie.
Manav Thakkar then faced Chuqin Wang in the second singles match but was defeated 9-11, 6-11, 9-11.
On a positive note, the Indian women’s team, consisting of Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamat, secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over the higher-ranked Romanian team on Monday, advancing to the quarterfinals.