Asian Championships: Indian men's table tennis team earns bronze; women encounter challenges

The Asian Championships glimpsed an outstanding performance by the Indian men's table tennis unit as they thumbed a coveted bronze medal spot. As a result, it formed the stage for a compelling semifinal showdown. On Monday, they faced off against Singapore in the quarterfinals and turned out victorious with a resounding 3-0 victory.

The action-packed quarterfinal began with a gripping singles match seeing the seasoned Sharath Kamal and the relentless Izaac Quek. The action flared in five drastic sets, eventually culminating in a win for the 41-year-old Indian, followed by an electrifying scoreline of 11-1, 10-12, 11-8, 11-13, 14-12.

G Sathiyan, the renowned campaigner, persisted in the Indian onslaught by blanking Yew En Koen Pang in a skilful show, assured an amazing scoreline of 11-6, 11-8, 12-10. India rushed ahead to a compelling 2-0 lead in the quarterfinal battle with this victory.

The success was sealed by Harmeet Desai who is India's highest-ranked participant at 61. Desai produced a dominating performance against Zhe Yu Clarence Chew, defeating through scores of 11-9, 11-4, and 11-6.

As they move ahead in the Asian Championships, the third-seeded, now eagerly expect their next ride in the semifinals. They will lock horns with the winner of the game between Iran and Chinese Taipei. The Indian men's table tennis team is confined to replicate their success from the prior edition in Doha, where they nailed a bronze medal.

For Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan who are counted among the former top-100 singles players, this contest provides an opportunity to retrieve their lost ground in the ratings. Transformations in the points system and finite tournament participation have declined their rankings.

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Women's table tennis team becomes prey to dominant Japan at Asian Championships

On the other hand, in the women's quarterfinals of the Asian Championships, the fifth-seeded Indian team encountered a challenging opponent in Japan. Despite their valiant actions, they succumbed to a 0-3 defeat. The Indian women gave their all, but the Japanese performers proved too decisive.

Mima Ito, ranked eighth in the world, displayed her prowess by beating Ayhika Mukherjee in the opening singles match with scorelines of 11-7, 15-13, 11-8. Manika Batra, placed 36th globally, battled hard with a scoreline of 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 3-11 but ultimately went down to Hina Hayata, who is ranked 7th.

Suthirtha Mukherjee portrayed her knack by winning the first match against the 14th-ranked Miu Hirano, but Hirano found her momentum to earn a 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5 victory. Despite the lapse, the Indian women remain persistent and will now vie in classification matches for ranks 5-8 on Tuesday.

This exciting competition at the Asian Championships serves as a paramount buildup to the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, scheduled to commence on September 23rd. The Indian delegation is confined to making its impact on the global stage.