The Chinese paddlers don’t need the leverage of a home tournament to stamp their dominance, but one can safely expect them to rule the roost come the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Though Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei have tough challengers in their ranks, they will only be fighting for crumbs.
Ample proof of this hierarchy emerged in the recently concluded Asian table tennis championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where China bagged 14 of the 21 medals and won all the seven gold medals on offer.
Where does that leave India given its average performance in the Asian championships?
The men’s team bagged a lone medal, retaining the bronze it last won in 2021. It lost to Chinese Taipei 0-3 in the semifinals while the women’s team went down to Thailand 0-3 to finish sixth, one position lower than their standing in the previous edition.
India’s fortunes were no better in the individual events. Stars G. Sathiyan and Sharath Kamal lost in the third round to Japan’s Yuta Tanaka and Korea’s Jaehyun An respectively.
Meanwhile, the unheralded Manav Thakkar outshone his more illustrious compatriots in going up to the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals, where he lost to eventual champion Ma Long. Thakkar had his moments against the reigning Olympic champion when he led 9-5 in the first game and 8-4 in the second, but he could not capitalise on the chances.
Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee’s quarterfinal finish was the pick of the performances in the women’s vertical. They lost to Chinese duo Manyu Wang and Meng Chen who eventually won the championship.
The mixed doubles pair of Sathiyan and Manika Batra is one of India’s biggest medal hopes but the duo went down to a Thai pair 3-2 in the second round. However, the bigger concern for the two will be Manika’s ankle injury which she sustained mid-match. While it is learnt that it was a minor sprain, and Manika soldiered on, her fitness will be key to India’s prospects in the Asiad.
“Because of the fall, we can say that it became difficult for Manika. Still, she tried to play to the best of her abilities. We are expecting much more from them ”Mamata PrabhuWomen’s team coach
Table tennis has seven events within its fold in the quadrennial tournament - singles, doubles and mixed doubles in the men’s and women’s variants. India’s chances are brightest in the men’s team and mixed doubles events.
Form guide
India had two bronze medals to its name in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta - one each in the aforementioned events - but expecting an encore be a tad ambitious.
While Harmeet Desai has been doing well in singles, reaching a career high of World No. 60, he is not part of the singles. The main protagonists for India in this event will be the experienced pair of Sharath and Sathiyan, however their dip in form which has led to the duo falling out of the world’s top 100 is a cause for concern.
Sathiyan’s pairing with Manika has also not tasted much success this year on the WTT Tour, be it Contender or Star Contender events. The Indian team management, however, is optimistic of a positive showing in Hangzhou and a few medals too.
Saurav Chakraborty, the men’s coach in South Korea, focused on the positives from the campaign there.
“The Asian championships were fantastic for us. I am not actually disappointed. We were actually hoping for a change in the colour of the medal in the men’s team event. In the Asian Games, we can probably do it. Players are ready and are in very good shape mentally and physically”Saurav Chakraborty
Silver linings are hard to identify in a campaign that is disappointing overall. However, Chakraborty’s attention is on the specifics.
“Sathiyan lost in the seventh game and decider. Sharath and Harmeet, who lost in the second round, played really well in singles. Even Manav played fantastic with Ma Long. Everybody played well, including Manush Shah (he lost in the second round). The fact is all our three main top players and the juniors are in good form. We will try to reach higher than last time. That’s the target,” he said.
The coach also brushed aside any worry about Sathiyan and Sharath’s drop in rankings. “Yes, Sharath and Sathiyan rankings have come down. The mixed doubles pair of Sathiyan and Manika have not done well in the Asians. But I don’t see them in a negative way. I think we have a really good chance to bring home medals in the Asiad. Before the World championships in February 2024, Sharath and Sathiyan will re-enter the world’s top 50,” he added.
Chakraborty chose to bank on the ever-dependable Sharath and Sathiyan, identifying them as India’s strongest medal prospects. Justifying his statements, he highlighted the pair’s fine performance in the WTTC Asian Continental Stage in January 2023 when the Indian duo lost a close match to the top Chinese pair of Ma Long and Yuan Licen in the round-of-16.
THE GIST
India’s chances look the brightest in the men’s team and mixed doubles events
Chakraborty, the men’s coach at the Asians in Pyeongchang, has identified Sharath and Sathiyan as India’s strong medal prospects
Women’s team coach Mamata Prabhu echoed Chakraborty’s optimism about her players’ chances in Hangzhou
“I am telling you, in January at the World championships qualifying tournament, they lost in close seven games after leading the Chinese pair 3-1 early on. From that perspective, they have a very good chance to finish on the podium,” insisted Saurav.
Moreover, Sathiyan was unlucky to lose his singles match in the third round to the Korean, he said.
“Sathiyan was winning at 11-10 in the fifth game when the Korean lobbed a ball and it kissed the edge of the table and he won the point,” Chakraborty added.
The 38-year-old said the Indian contingent, particularly Manika and Sathyan’s pairing, has time to rectify its mistakes with the squad expected to reach China on September 18.
“We have five to six days to prepare, which is sufficient,” he said.
Women’s team coach Mamata Prabhu echoed Chakraborty’s optimism about her players’ chances in China. At the Asian Championships. the women’s team lost to Japan 3-0, but the coach said every match went the distance and that the players played their heart out.
Mamata praised the women’s doubles combination of Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee who reached the last eight at the Asians.
“They lost a close match to the Chinese though the scoreline read 0-3. They are a very strong and effective pair. If you see the scoreline, the Chinese didn’t have it easy as it boiled down to a difference of 1-2 points,” she said.
According to Mamata, had Manika not injured her ankle during a crucial juncture, India’s medal tally might have looked different.
“Because of the fall, we can say that it became difficult for Manika. Still, she tried to play to the best of her abilities. We are expecting much more from them,” Mamata said. She also allayed any fears on Manika’s participation in the Asian Games.
“She is alright. It is only a minor sprain,” she said.
The odds are definitely stacked against the Indian players given their current form and performances. The team management has reposed trust in them. Whether they deliver, only time will tell.
