Asian Games 2023: Indian men, women table tennis teams make exit from knockouts stage of team events

India won a bronze medal in men's team event at the 2018 Asiad.

The Indian men's and women's table tennis teams bowed out of their respective team events on the opening day of Asian Games 2023. While the men's team exited the competition after quarter-final loss against South Korea, the women's team bowed out from the first round of knockouts stages following their defeat against Thailand in the round of 16 stage.

Both teams had stormed into the knockouts stages of Asian Games 2023 by winning their respective groups i dominating fashion. However, they faltered against heavyweights.

Men's Team

India vs South Korea - Quarterfinals

India crashed out from the quarterfinals of the men's table tennis team event. India's No. 1 Harmeet Desai faced a straight games (0-3) loss against Jaehyun An by 9-11, 8-11, 9-11. Next, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran was up by 2-0 in the second game against Ganghyeon Park but ended up losing 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 6-11. Veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal that stepped up to go closest to registering a victory in the quarterfinals.

Sharath Kamal started well but lost the second set against Clarence Zhe Yu. He once again came close to winning the third set, but eventually went down 10-12 and was then blown away in the fourth set.

India vs Kazakhstan - Round of 16

Earlier, India edged past Kazakhstan to enter the quarterfinals. In the Kazakhstan match, Indian veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal lost his first match against WR 76 Kirill Gerassimenko by 8-11, 11-9, 6-11, 8-11. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran won the second match for India by 14-12, 11-8, 11-4. India No. 1 Harmeet Desai won his only match against 16-year-old teen Kazakhstan paddler, Alan Kurmangaliyev by 11-7, 12-10, 11-5 in the third match.

Sathiyan lost the fourth match against Kirill Gerassimenko 2-3 by 5-11 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 5-11 to hand the penultimate match over to 2006 men's individual table tennis Commonwealth Champion, Sharath Kamal. The 41-year-old superstar won the penultimate match for India 2-3 by 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 to take them through the quarterfinals.

Women's Team

India vs Thailand - Round of 16

India's Women's Team bowed out in the Round of 16. The highest-ranked women's singles player of India, Manika Batra lost both of her matches to lower-ranked players. The WR 36, lost to WR 67 Orawan Paranang 0-3 in 1st match by 3-11, 1-11, 11-13 and to Suthasini Sawettabut 1-3 by 10-12, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 in the penultimate match.

Ayhika Mukherjee created an upset when she won against WR 39, Suthasini Sawettabut 3-1 by 18-16, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9 in the second match. She lost the fourth match against Orawan Paranang 2-3 by 12-10, 4-11, 11-5, 4-11, 3-11. Sutirtha Mukherjee won her lone match 3-2 by 11-1, 9-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7.