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Asian team TT: Indian men lose to Hong Kong in last 8
India's men's table tennis team lost 3-0 to Hong Kong in the Asian Team Championships quarter-finals, missing a podium finish for the first time.
Mumbai: The new-look and young men’s team could not cash in on home turf as India lost to Hong Kong 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the Asian Table Tennis Team Championships in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
The defeat means the Indian men’s outfit will not have a podium finish in this continental event featuring only team events, after winning bronze medals in the previous three editions.
As the 2024 bronze medallists, both Indian teams received direct entries into the quarter-finals, but the men’s five-member squad was three-fifths different from last year. Without the experience of the retired Sharath Kamal, India’s No.2 G Sathiyan – he became a father earlier in the week – and Harmeet Desai, the young pack struggled against Hong Kong.
Going first up, 24-year-old Manush Shah, ranked 72 in the world, was brushed aside in straight games by world No.48 Wong Chun Ting. Manush lost 11-5, 11-9, 13-11.
The onus was then on Manav Thakkar, the top-ranked Indian who has now had some experience of playing such tournaments and at the elite level, to bring the hosts back. The world No.39, however, could not live up to his billing. Up against the 59th-ranked Chan Baldwin, a highly rated young southpaw, Thakkar rallied from two games down before losing 8-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 8-11.
Staring down the barrel at 2-0, head coach Massimo Costantini threw in teen Ankur Bhattacharjee, who made the main draw of the WTT Grand Smash China earlier this month, for the third rubber. The 18-year-old, ranked 118, showed some promise against the 130-ranked Lam Siu Hang but fizzled out for a 11-7, 9-11, 14-12, 6-11, 7-11 defeat.
The Indian women’s team will play their quarter-final on Monday.
