The Indian men’s team lost 0-3 against Chinese Taipei in the semifinals of the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday, and settled for the bronze medal. The Indian women’s team earned the bronze medal in the competition on Wednesday, the country’s first medal in the category since the event’s inception in 1972. The famous Achanta Sharath Kamal, world No. 42, struggled against his world No. 7 opponent Lin Yun-Ju, whose reflexes and precision made it difficult for the Indian to settle into his own game.
Sharath Kamal lost the match 11-7, 12-10, and 11-9. In the following match, Manav Thakkar lost against world No. 22 Kao Cheng-Jui in a hard-fought match that ended 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 13-11 in favor of the Chinese Taipei player, who led 2-0.
Harmeet Desai was equally disappointed in the third game, losing to Huang Yan-Cheng 6-11, 9-11, and 7-11. A bronze medal at the prestigious Asian Championships is a significant accomplishment, particularly in the elite continental championships,” said the Table Tennis Federation of India in a statement. “The men’s and women’s squads demonstrated incredible grit and determination, proving that India continues to rise.”