Historic Victory for Indian Table Tennis Pair
Ayhika Mukherjee & Sutirtha Mukherjee at Asian Games: Indian table tennis players Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee achieved a momentous victory against China’s formidable duo. It included Meng Chen and Yidi Wang, reigning world champions.
This victory not only secured a historic medal for India in women’s table tennis doubles. But, it also marks the first entry of an Indian women’s doubles team into the semi-finals of an international table tennis championship.
HISTORY CREATED 🔥🔥🔥
— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) September 30, 2023
Table Tennis: 1st EVER MEDAL confirmed for INDIA in Women's Doubles at Asian Games.
Ayhika Mukherjee & Sutirtha Mukherjee storm into Semis after stunning reigning WORLD CHAMPIONS from CHINA 3-1. #AsianGames | #IndiaAtAsianGames #AsianGames2022 pic.twitter.com/TIfFcYSkyW
An Intense Quarterfinal Showdown
The quarterfinal match was nothing short of a roller-coaster of emotions. Both India and China were locked in a closely contested battle. The Mukherjee duo exhibited exceptional skills and unwavering determination right from the outset. They clinched the first set with an impressive score of 11-5. It was showcasing their dominance. This remarkable performance continued into the second set too. Here they repeated the feat with an identical scoreline.
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Further Ayhika and Sutirtha seemed to be in control. Their Chinese counterparts, Meng Chen and Yidi Wang, fought back valiantly to claim the third set with a score of 11-5. However, the Indian duo remained composed and quickly regained their momentum in the fourth set. The fourth set turned into a neck-to-neck encounter. The world’s second-ranked Chinese pair were giving their all. Nevertheless, Ayhika and Sutirtha managed to secure a crucial victory in this intense set with a score of 11-9.
Sutirtha & Ayhika Mukherjee‘s Historic Entry into the Semifinals
With this hard-fought win, Ayhika and Sutirtha advanced to the semi-finals, guaranteeing India its first-ever Asian Games medal in women’s table tennis doubles. Their determination and resilience paved the way for this historic achievement, and their performance will be etched in the annals of Indian table tennis history.
Mixed Results for Other Indian Players
In contrast, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra faced an early exit in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles table tennis competition. Manika encountered world No. 4 Yidi Wang of China and, despite a valiant effort, succumbed to an 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, 4-11, 14-12, 5-11 defeat. This marked the conclusion of India’s singles campaign at the Hangzhou Games.
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India’s men’s doubles pair of Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar also bowed out in the quarterfinals. They faced a formidable challenge in the South Korean pair of Woojin Jang and Jonghoon Lim, ultimately losing 8-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11 in the quarterfinal clash.
A Historic Triumph in Asian Table Tennis
Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee’s historic win against the world champions from China is a testament to their skill, dedication, and determination. This landmark victory secures a historic medal for India. It also marks a significant milestone in the country’s table tennis journey. While there were mixed results for other Indian players, the achievement of the Mukherjee duo shone brightly at the Asian Games.