Paris: The Indian table tennis campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympics ended with the women’s team’s defeat to Germany in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The Indian women’s team, comprising Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath, lost 3-1 to the Rio 2016 silver medallists Germany. Archana Kamath picked up India’s only win in the tie.
India, competing in the team events for the first time at the Olympics, lost in the opening round of the men’s event to the People’s Republic of China.
In the singles events, Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula made the round of 16 in the women’s event, while five-time Olympian Sharath Kamal and Harmeet Desai lost in the opening round of the men’s event.
In the women’s team quarter-finals against Germany, Archana Kamath combined with Sreeja Akula in the doubles match. The duo lost to the German pair of Yuan Wan and Shan Xiaona 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 12-10, 11-6).
Later, world No. 25 Manika Batra was stunned by teenager Annett Kaufmann, ranked 100 in the singles match. Manika won the first game but the 18-year-old Kaufmann turned it around to win 3-1 (8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7).
Archana Kamath, ranked 123rd, brought India into the tie after a hard-fought victory against veteran Shan Xiaona, world No. 40. Archana defeated her higher-ranked opponent 3-1 (19-17, 1-11, 11-5, 11-9) to take the tie into a fourth match.
However, the Germans sealed the victory in the fourth match with Annett Kaufmann once again turned up with a big performance. She defeated Sreeja Akula, who recently achieved the highest ranking for an Indian table tennis player at world No. 22, in straight games 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7) to take their team into the semi-finals.