Asian Games: Manika Batra enters prequarterfinals; mixed pair knocked out

NEW DELHI: Renowned Indian table tennis player Manika Batra has made an impressive entry into the pre-quarterfinals at the Asian Games with a dominant victory over Nepal's Nabita Shrestha in the women's singles category.

Manika, who clinched gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and secured a bronze in mixed doubles at the Jakarta Asian Games, exhibited her prowess by defeating Nabita 4-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-3, 11-2) in just 20 minutes. Her victory has set the stage for a challenging clash with Thailand's Suthasini Sawettabut.

However, another Indian paddler, Sreeja Akula, faced a disappointing defeat, succumbing to North Korea's Songgyong Pyon with a score of 0-4 (6-11, 4-11, 13-15, 9-11), thus concluding her journey in the competition.


In the men's doubles event, the Indian pair of Manav Vikash Thakkar and Manush Utpalbhai Shah showcased their skill by defeating the Maldives duo of Mohamed Shaffan Ismail and Moosa Munsif Ahmed 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2), securing a place in the round of 16.

Another Indian pairing, comprising Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Sharath Kamal Achanta, displayed an excellent performance as they outplayed the Mongolian combination of Ser-Od Gankhuyag and Manlaijargal Munkh-Ochir 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-3) in a swift match lasting just 13 minutes.

However, the Indian mixed pair of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra faced an intense pre-quarterfinals battle against Zhe Yu Clarence Chew and Jian Zeng of Singapore, ultimately losing 2-3 (11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 10-12, 3-11) in a closely contested encounter at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park.

The other Indian mixed pair, consisting of Sreeja Akula and Harmeet Rajul Desai, faced a similar fate, exiting the competition after losing 0-3 (4-11, 6-11, 10-12) to Orawan Paranang and Phakpoom Sanguansin of Thailand.

(With PTI inputs)