Paris 2024: India Women’s Table Tennis Team Enters Quarterfinals By Beating Romania
It turned out to be a momentous debut for the India women’s table tennis team at Paris Olympics 2024 as they had an upper hand over Romania in a nail-biting 3-2 encounter to move into the quarterfinals. The historic win was achieved on Monday, 05th August, 2024, which turned out to be quite important as an Olympic milestone for the team. Dominant Start in Doubles The Sreeja Akula-Archana Kamath duo did just that, playing some quality table tennis to set the tone for the match with a strong display in the doubles event. They clinched an easy win over Romania’s Adina Diaconu and Elizabeta Samara with the score reads 11-9, 12-10, 11-7. That syncretism and strategic play gave India an early lead and confidence boost. Manika Batra in Singles Manika Batra carried forward the momentum, who also won in straight games against Bernadette Szocs. She dominated from the very beginning and took an 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 victory to bring India tantalizingly close to a quarterfinal berth. Romanian Comeback and the Decider However, the match became a nail-biter as Romania came back into the picture. Sreeja Akula fought valiantly against Elizabeta Samara but lost 11-8, 4-11, 11-7, 6-11, and 8-11 in one of the closest battles. This victory kept alive the tie and waged a four-game affair where Archana Kamath faced Szocs. Kamath did come up with a good fight but lost 5-11, 11-8, 7-11, and 9-11. Manika Batra Seals the Victory The final five-game decider naturally drew everyone’s attention as the score was locked at 2-2. Manika Batra did not miss the opportunity to shine, with a great show against Adina Diaconu. Composed yet aggressive, Batra sealed the issue for India with an 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 win to send the team into the quarterfinals. The challenge for India next will be the winner between the United States of America and Germany, which is scheduled for Tuesday. The Indian team’s scintillating debut and fighting spirit set the stage for what, by far, is going to be an exciting storyline in continuation of their journey at Paris Olympics 2024. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
