Manika Batra etched her name in the annals of history by progressing to the women's table tennis quarterfinals at the current Asian Games in Hangzhou. She clinched a thrilling victory against Thailand's Suthasini Sawettabut on Friday, sealing the match 4-2. After a gripping contest that saw both players tied at 2-2, Batra emerged victorious in the next two sets.
This achievement marks Batra as the first Indian to reach the table tennis singles quarterfinals at the Asian Games. She's now gearing up to challenge Wang Yidi, with a coveted semifinal berth and a potential medal at stake.
On the men's front, India had a mixed bag of results. Veterans Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran faced a 0-3 defeat against China's formidable pair. Yet, the duo of Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar secured a gritty 3-2 win against their Singaporean opponents, setting up a clash with top-seeded players in the quarterfinals.
The day will also see Indian pairs Sreeja Akula-Diya Chitale and Suthirtha Mukherjee-Ayhika Mukherjee in action in the women's doubles. Singles matches await Sathiyan and Achanta. The ten-member Indian table tennis contingent, spearheaded by Sharat Kamal and Manika Batra, kicked off their Hangzhou journey on September 22, with events wrapping up on October 2.
