October 10, 2024: The Indian men’s table tennis team secured a bronze medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.
Despite their impressive run, India lost to Chinese Taipei in the semifinals with a scoreline of 0-3.
In the semifinals, Achanta Sharath Kamal opened for India but lost to Lin Yun Ju in straight sets (7-11, 10-12, 9-11). Next, Manav Thakkar fought hard but was defeated by Kao Cheng-Juo (1-3), and finally, Harmeet Desai fell to Huang Yan Cheng (6-11, 9-11, 7-11), giving Chinese Taipei a clean sweep and advancing them to the final.
India had secured the bronze medal by overcoming Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday.
Additionally, the Indian women’s team also made history by winning their first-ever bronze medal at the Asian Championships after defeating South Korea in the quarterfinals and losing to Japan in the semifinals (1-3).
This performance marks a significant achievement for Indian table tennis, with both the men’s and women’s teams earning bronze at this prestigious event.
