The Indian men’s table tennis team, featuring Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar, was eliminated from the Paris 2024 Olympics after a 3-0 loss to top-seeded China in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
India, seeded 14th, faced a tough challenge against the defending champions China in a best of five encounter.
In the men’s doubles match, five-time Olympic gold medallist Ma Long and world No. 1 singles player Wang Chuqin defeated Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar with a scoreline of 3-0 (11-2, 11-3, 11-7).
Next, Commonwealth Games champion Sharath Kamal, India’s top-ranked singles player at world No. 41, took on world No. 2 Fan Zhendong. Sharath Kamal won the first game but ultimately lost 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 5-11). Zhendong later secured the men’s singles gold medal at Paris 2024.
In the final and decisive match, Manav Thakkar, ranked 59th in the world, put up a strong fight against Wang Chuqin. Despite his efforts, Thakkar lost 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-9), highlighting the superior quality of the Chinese player.
Earlier at Paris 2024, the first round of the men’s singles tournament saw the elimination of Harmeet Desai and Sharath Kamal. Manav Thakkar participated solely in the team event.
Meanwhile, the Indian women’s table tennis team, comprising Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath, seeded 11th, achieved a stunning 3-2 victory over fourth-seeded Romania in their round of 16 tie on Monday. The winner of the USA vs. Germany match will face the Indian trio in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
