The Indian table tennis team led by our very own Manika Batra put up a commendable show to clinch three bronze medals at the recently concluded Asian Table Tennis Championships 2024.
While the Batra-led women’s team and the women’s doubles duo of Ayhika Mukherjee and Suthirtha Mukherjee won a first-ever medal in their respective events, the men’s team, spearheaded by the legendary Sharath Kamal retained their bronze for the third time on the bounce.
History for the Bengal duo
They have made it a habit, and the Asian Championships was no different as India’s women’s doubles pair of Suthirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee scripted history yet again by clinching India’s maiden medal in the category at the continental stage.
The duo beat Kim Nayeong and Lee Eunhye of the Republic of Korea in the quarter-finals to ensure themselves a medal. In the semis, however, they bowed out after a spirited fight against the ninth seed Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara of Japan to take home the bronze.
Last year, the Indian pair won a bronze medal at the Asian Games, while also becoming the first Indian duo to clinch a WTT Contender title in Tunis.
Manika makes herself count
India’s historic run at the Asian meet also saw the women’s team put on a determined show. Facing the second seed and Olympic bronze medallist Republic of Korea in the quarter-finals, the Indian team took the fight to the opposition in some style.
Ayhika was the first to spring a surprise when she got past World No. 8 Shin Yu-bin 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7) to give India an early lead. Batra was the next to get on the board as she beat the experienced Jeon Ji-hee 3-2 (12-14, 13-11, 11-5, 5-11, 12-10) in what was nothing short of a slugfest.
Though the Koreans got themselves back into the tie by winning the following two matches, a focused Ayhika kept her composure to beat Jeon Ji-hee 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 12, 10-, 12-10) in the decider to hand India their first-ever medal at the event.
Consistency the key for Sharath Kamal and the boys
At the Asian Championships, it was all about consistency for the Indian men’s team. Drawn against a tricky Kazakhstan, the Indian troika of Sharath Kamal, Manav Thakkar and Harmeet Desai had to be on top of their game to wade off the challenge to ensure themselves of a medal.
Facing Kirill Gerassimenko in the opening match of the tie, Thakkar got India off to a flying start with a 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-6) win. But Harmeet failed to build on as he went down 0-3 (6-11, 5-11, 8-11) to Alan Kurmangaliyev in the second match. Sharath Kamal, however, didn’t let the loss affect the team’s momentum as he despatched Aidos Kenzhigulov 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 12-10) to take India closer to a win.
Later, it was Harmeet who redeemed himself with a hard-fought 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8) win over the higher-ranked Gerassimenko to take India into the semi-finals and ensure them of a medal at the Asian meet.
In the semis, the Indian paddlers were no match to the second seed Chinese Taipei who ran away with a 3-0 win to advance into the final.