The Indian men’s table tennis team, consisting of 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 challenging match against the defending champions in the best-of-five encounter.
In the men’s doubles, Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar were up against five-time Olympic gold medallist Ma Long and world No. 1 singles player Wang Chuqin. The Indian pair lost 3-0 (11-2, 11-3, 11-7).
Next, Commonwealth Games champion Sharath Kamal, India’s top-ranked singles player at world No. 41, faced world No. 2 Fan Zhendong. Sharath Kamal won the first game but ultimately lost the match 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 5-11). Zhendong later won the men’s singles gold medal at Paris 2024.
In the decisive third match, Manav Thakkar, world No. 59, played against Wang Chuqin. Despite a spirited effort, Thakkar lost 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-9), ending India’s run in the team event.
Earlier, Harmeet Desai and Sharath Kamal exited in the first round of the men’s singles tournament, while Thakkar only competed in the team event.
In contrast, the Indian women’s table tennis team, featuring Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath, seeded 11th, achieved a stunning 3-2 victory over fourth-seeded Romania in their round of 16 match. They will face the winner of the USA vs. Germany match in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
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