The Indian women’s table tennis team faced a disappointing end to their campaign, losing 0-3 to North Korea in the quarter-finals held in Nagoya.
This defeat means that the quest for India’s first medal in women’s team table tennis at the continues.
In the quarter-final match, players Shreeja Akula, Yashaswini Ghorpade, and Diya Chitale were unable to secure a single win. Shreeja struggled to maintain her form, losing her match 7-11, 6-11, 5-11, which put India at a disadvantage.
With the team trailing 0-1, the pressure fell on Yashaswini to keep India’s hopes alive. However, she was defeated by Song Kyung-pyung with scores of 4-11, 3-11, and 6-11, extending North Korea’s lead to 2-0.
Diya Chitale needed to win her match against Su Yong-cha to keep India in the contest. Unfortunately, she lost 9-11, 7-11, and 8-11, sealing the victory for North Korea and ending India’s run in the tournament.
Earlier on the same day, India had reached the quarter-finals by defeating Thailand in a tough match, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2. Yashaswini played a crucial role, securing two victories during that match.
Historically, India has won three bronze medals in table tennis at the Asian Games. The first medal was achieved in Jakarta 2018 when the men’s team secured a bronze. Following that, Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra won another bronze in mixed doubles. Most recently, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee claimed a bronze in women’s doubles at Hangzhou 2023, marking India’s first medal in that event.