India’s table tennis players have been making waves on the global stage, consistently challenging established powerhouses from outside the Commonwealth nations. Their success extends beyond age-group competitions, demonstrating their dominance at senior levels and boosting India’s standing in the global table tennis community.
Table tennis, a sport where Asian nations dominate major competitions, has seen China, Japan, the two Koreas, and Chinese Taipei consistently produce world-class talent. Amidst this fierce competition, India’s recent achievements at the Asian Championships are nothing short of remarkable. They secured their third consecutive bronze medal in the men’s team event, adding to the women’s team’s second continental bronze and the maiden medal for the rising duo of Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee.
However, the Indian women’s team’s stunning 3-2 victory over the second-seeded Korea was somewhat overshadowed by the overall success. This victory was propelled by World No. 90 Ayhika Mukherjee’s impressive performance, where she stunned World No. 9 Shin Yubin 3-2 in the opening clash and secured the tie with a 3-1 win over Jeon Jihee. It is worth noting that Ayhika had previously stunned World No. 1 Sun Yingsha at the World Championships earlier in the year.
In the women’s doubles, the World No. 15 pair of Ayhika and Sutirtha showcased their prowess by overcoming Korea’s Kim Nayeong and Lee Eunhye 3-1 in the quarterfinals, securing a historic first bronze in the women’s paired event. Despite falling to the eventual silver medallists, the Japanese duo of Miwa Harimoto and Miyuu Kihara, in the semifinals, Ayhika and Sutirtha have proven to be a formidable force. Their rise to prominence began with a shocking upset over Chinese World Champions and then World No. 2 Wang Yidi and Chen Meng in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games last year, silencing the partisan home crowd in Hangzhou.
India’s qualification for the Olympics in Paris this year, both for the men’s and women’s teams, marks a significant milestone. These twin-team medals serve as a testament to the current crop of players’ potential, particularly in team events. Before 2018, India’s major victories came from the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Championship, coinciding with the decline of Singapore, England, and Hong Kong and India’s steady rise. However, the mixed doubles bronze for Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra in the 2018 Asian Games, the women’s doubles bronze at the 2022 Asian Games, and the recent Asian bronze by the gallant Ayhika-Sutirtha duo have forced the competition to take India’s challenge more seriously in paired events.
Team golds at the Commonwealth level and three men’s team bronze medals from the Asian Championships in Doha (Qatar, 2021), Pyeongchang (South Korea, 2023), and Astana (Kazakhstan, 2024) have solidified India’s newfound identity and respect among the world’s best. While the domestic structure, encompassing the National Championship, Inter-Institutional Championship, and five National Ranking tournaments, is considered adequate by those governing the sport, overseas participation has increased significantly due to individual initiatives.
The introduction of the Ultimate Table Tennis League has also played a pivotal role in empowering Indian players to test their skills against top-ranked players in both categories. Training alongside these higher-ranked overseas players for their respective franchises has empowered Indians to shed self-doubt in their preparations for international competitions.
At the 2024 Astana Championship, Japan topped the medal tally with three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals. China (two gold, two silver, and a bronze), DPR Korea (a gold, a silver, and a bronze), and South Korea (a gold and three bronzes) followed closely. India returned with three bronze medals, matching its previous best since 1972 when the competition was renamed.
The continental team championship format positions the top six teams from the previous edition in the Champions Division. These teams face two teams from the First Division League in the knockout phase, starting from the quarterfinals. The Indian men’s team, securing fifth place in Yogyakarta (Indonesia, 2019), has maintained its position in the Champion Division by reaching the semifinals since then. The losing semifinalists are awarded bronze medals.
This time, India faced host Kazakhstan for a place in the semifinals. World No. 40 Kirill Gerassimenko gave Kazakhstan an edge, but India’s overall strength proved decisive. Manav Thakkar and Harmeet Desai, ranked 59 and 87 respectively, defeated Gerassimenko in the first and fourth singles, offsetting Sharath’s defeat to Aidos Kenzhigulov. Harmeet’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Alan Kurmangaliyev gave India a commanding 2-0 lead. In the crucial fourth singles, Harmeet twice came back from a deficit to overcome Gerassimenko, ending Kazakhstan’s medal hopes. Over the past few years, Harmeet Desai has consistently delivered in key matches, showcasing his ability to rise to the occasion.
India’s 0-3 defeat to a formidable Chinese Taipei in the semifinals, echoing the result of their 2023 encounter at the same stage, left India celebrating a hat-trick of men’s team bronze medals from the Asian Championships. Despite some disappointments in individual events, there were several joyous moments and positive takeaways for India, reaffirming their status as a rising force in the world of table tennis.