The Indian women’s table tennis team, on Wednesday, bagged a bronze medal at the 2024 Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The team comprising of Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Ayhika Mukherjee, Sutirtha Mukherjee, and Diya Chitale took home India’s first-ever medal at the continental championships following a 1-3 loss to the 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallists Japan.
India rested Akula, who had lost in straight games in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, and drafted in Sutirtha Mukherjee into the team.
Ayhika Mukherjee, who had starred in the quarter-finals victory against South Korea with two wins, once again came out to play the opening match of the tie. She lost out 2-3 to Harimoto Miwa before Batra helped India level the scores with a straight games 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 win over Odo Satsuki.
Ito Mima, however, made quick work of Sutirtha Mukherjee in the third match, winning 3-0 to put India under pressure.
Tasked with keeping India in the hunt with yet another win, Batra went down 3-11, 11-6, 2-11, 3-11 against Harimoto in the fourth match.
Batra’s loss meant that India conceded the tie 1-3, but won the bronze medal by the virtue of being the semi-finallists.
India men enter semi-finals
Meanwhile, the Indian men’s team entered the semi-finals following a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan in their first match of the competition.
Manav Thakkar gave India a winning start, recording a straight games victory over Kirill Gerassimenko in the opening game.
Alan Kurmangaliyev, however, returned the favour soon after as he beat Harmeet Desai 3-0 to help Kazakhstan equalise the tie score.
Veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal then struck in the third match for India, blanking Aidos Kenzhigulov 3-0 before Desai redeemed himself with a hard fought 3-2 win over Gerassimenko to help India to an unassailable lead in the tie.
The semi-final qualification means that India are now assured of a medal in the men’s team event as well. They will next take on winner of the quarter-final between Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
