Paris (France): India's men's team consisting of Manav Thakkar, Harmeet Desai and veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal lost the round of 16 clash against the formidable Chinese side in the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics here on Tuesday.
The Chinese team of Ma Long, Wang Chuqin, and Fan Zhendong won the match 3-0 after clinching a dominating victory over the Indian team in the pre-quarterfinal clash.
In the team round, the Chinese duo of Ma Long and Wang Chuqin started with a bang and didn't show any mercy on the Indian paddlers, winning all three games quite comprehensively. The first-seeded Chinese pair won all three games 11-2, 11-3, 11-7.
Achanta Sharath Kamal showed a little fight in the singles match, winning the first game by 11-9. It felt like he would score the equaliser point for the Indian team, but then faltered in the next three games of the match. His opponent was better in the footwork and his speed was quite incredible which the Indian failed to match with. Sharath lost 7-11, 7-11, and 11-05 in the second round.
Men's Table Tennis Team Round of 16👇🏻
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) August 6, 2024
The Indian team of Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, and Sharath Kamal lost to China🇨🇳 0-3
Take a look at the results👇🏻:
Harmeet Desai / Manav Thakkar lose to Long Ma / Wang Chuqin 2-11, 3-11, 7-11, 5-11.
Achanta Sharath Kamal loses to Fan… pic.twitter.com/BVxIg9xnS6
Manav Thakar gave a tough fight to his singles opponent Wang Chuqin, taking the lead in a couple of games. However, he faltered in both sets, despite taking strong leads. He conceded the match in three straight games - 9-11, 6-11, 9-11. With his defeat, the Indian men's table tennis made the opening round exit as they failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.
