Astana [Kazakhstan]: The Indian men's table tennis team has secured a bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships in Kazakhstan.
The team, consisting of Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai, and Sharath Kamal, delivered an impressive performance to reach the semifinals.
In the quarterfinal, the Indian team overcame Kazakhstan's trio of Kirill Gerassimenko, Alan Kurmangaliyev, and Aidos Kenzhigulov with a convincing 3-1 victory.
This win not only guaranteed them a bronze medal but also set up a challenging semifinal clash against Chinese Taipei, scheduled for Thursday.
Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai, and Sharath Kamal each played crucial roles in securing the win, showcasing the depth of talent within the team.
Thakkar defeated Gerassimenko 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-6), while Sharath Kamal overcame Kenzhigulov 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 12-10).
Harmeet Desai sealed the victory with a 3-2 win over Gerassimenko (6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8), despite losing his earlier match to Kurmangaliyev 3-0.
Earlier, the Indian women's team made history by winning a bronze medal, the country's first-ever in the women's team category at the Asian Table Tennis Championships since its inception in 1972.
In the semifinals, India suffered a 1-3 defeat to Japan, while Hong Kong defeated China 3-0 in the other semifinal. Both losing semifinalists receive bronze medals in this competition.
Ayhika Mukherjee narrowly lost the opening singles match to Miwa Harimoto 2-3 (8-11, 11-9, 8-11, 13-11, 7-11).
Manika Batra brought India back into contention with a 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-8) victory over Satsuki Odo. However, Sutirtha Mukherjee lost to
Mima Ito 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 15-13), and Harimoto clinched the tie for Japan with a 3-1 win over Manika (11-3, 6-11, 11-2, 11-3).
India had confirmed its bronze medal with a thrilling 3-2 victory over South Korea in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
