Astana (Kazakhstan), Oct 13 (IANS): Asian Games medallists Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee made more history for India by assuring the country a medal by reaching the semifinals of women's doubles in the Asian Table Tennis Championships 2024 here on Saturday. Ranked 15th in the World, Ayhika and Sutirtha defeated the Republic of Korea’s makeshift pair of Kim Nayeong and Lee Eunhye 3-1 (10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8) in the quarterfinals to storm into the last-four stage.
The Indian table tennis players will next face Japan’s world No. 33 Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara in the semifinals on Sunday.
By reaching the semifinals, Ayhika and Sutirtha are assured of a medal as all four paddlers in this stage are awarded medals in the Asian Table Tennis Championships.
The Mukherjees are now set to become the first all-Indian women’s doubles pair to win a medal in the Asian Table Tennis Championships. India's Gool Nasikwala had won a gold medal for India in women’s doubles but that came in partnership with Japan’s Yoshiko Tanaka in the inaugural edition played in 1952.
This is the third historic feat for Ayhika and Sutirtha since June 2023 or so as they had set a record by winning India’s first medal in the women’s doubles at the Asian Games by claiming a bronze medal. In Tunis last year, the Mukherjees became the first Indians to win the WTT Contender women’s doubles title.
While Ayhika and Sutirtha kept the Tricolour flying, India suffered a setback in the women's singles when 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manika Batra lost her pre-quarterfinal match and was eliminated on Saturday. The world No. 29 Indian lost to world No. 7 Miwa Harimoto of Japan 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5).
In men’s singles, Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar shocked higher-ranked South Korean opponents before losing in the Round of 16. In the Round of 32, Manush Shah, ranked 115th, defeated world No. 23 South Korean An Jaehyun 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-6). World No. 60 Manav Thakkar won 3-2 (5-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7) against world No. 14 Jang Woojin.
In the Round of 16, Shah lost 3-2 (12-14, 11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 8-11) to Chinese Taipei’s world No. 11 Lin Yun-Ju while Thakkar was beaten 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-8) by Hong Kong China’s world No. 137 Chan Baldwin.
Harmeet Desai, ranked 91st, lost 3-0 (14-12, 11-7, 11-7) to South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon, world No. 30, in his round of 32 match.
However, this will still go down as a successful campaign in the Asian Championships for India as the men's and women's teams had both bagged bronze medals. Ayhika and Sutirtha have now ensured that India will return from Kazakhstan with three medals.