The Indian men's table tennis team has secured a bronze medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, after losing 0-3 to Chinese Taipei in the semifinals on Thursday. This follows the Indian women's team also winning a bronze medal in the tournament, marking the country's first medal in this category since the competition began in 1972.
Legendary player Achanta Sharath Kamal, currently ranked world No. 42, faced a challenging match against world No. 7 Lin Yun-Ju. Despite his efforts, Sharath Kamal lost the match with scores of 11-7, 12-10, and 11-9.
In the next match, Manav Thakkar faced world No. 22 Kao Cheng-Jui. Thakkar fought hard but ultimately lost with scores of 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, and 13-11, giving Chinese Taipei a 2-0 lead.
The final match saw Harmeet Desai also struggle, losing to Huang Yan-Cheng with scores of 6-11, 9-11, and 7-11.
Despite the defeat, the Table Tennis Federation of India expressed pride in the team's performance, stating, "A bronze medal at the prestigious Asian Championships is no small feat, especially in the elite continental championships." They added, "The men's and women's squads showed incredible grit and determination, proving that India continues to rise in the ranks of international table tennis."
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