The Indian men's team suffered a 0-3 defeat against Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals of the Asian Table Tennis Championship, taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday, October 10. As a result, they secured a bronze medal.
Earlier, the Indian women's team had also earned a bronze medal in the same competition on Wednesday, marking the country's first medal in this category since the championship began in 1972.
India's top player Achanta Sharath Kamal, ranked 42nd in the world rankings, faced a tough challenge from world number seven opponent Lin Yun Ju and lost 11-7, 12-10, 11-9. After this, Manav Thakkar had to face defeat from world number 22 player Cao Cheng-Jui. Jui defeated Thakkar 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 13-11. The Indian team was trailing 0-2. Harmeet Desai also faced disappointment in the third match, losing to Huang Yan-Cheng 6-11, 9-11, 7-11.
The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) said in a release, "Despite the defeat, the Indian men's team can feel proud as winning a bronze medal in this prestigious Asian Championship is no small achievement. The men's and women's teams showed great spirit and determination, which shows that India is constantly progressing in international table tennis."