The Paris 2024 Olympics aimed for gender equality, and for India’s table tennis contingent, that equality was evident in numbers. However, the three women paddlers truly surpassed their male counterparts in performance. Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula achieved a historic feat by reaching the singles pre-quarterfinals, a first for Indian table tennis. They later joined forces with Archana Kamath in the team championship, where India’s men and women participated for the first time, and the women went one step further, reaching the quarterfinals.
Reaching an Olympic quarterfinal was previously unimaginable for an Indian table tennis player. The women’s team took advantage of a favorable draw, stunning fourth-seed Romania and pushing Germany to the brink before exiting in the quarterfinals.
The men’s team, on the other hand, faced a tougher path and struggled to meet expectations. Achanta Sharath Kamal, a veteran of five Olympics and India’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony, suffered a disappointing loss in the round of 64 in singles. Despite being the 24th seed, he fell to Slovenia’s Deni Kožul, ranked 80 places lower. Harmeet Desai, making his Olympic debut, had a respectable showing, pushing eventual bronze medalist Felix LeBrun of France before exiting in the second round.
The men’s team faced a challenging opening match against powerhouse China in the team championship. Despite the loss, Sharath left his mark on his final Olympic outing by winning a game against singles gold medalist Fan Zhendong. Harmeet and Manav Thakkar in doubles and Thakkar in singles also displayed the strides Indian table tennis has made.
However, the fortnight belonged to India’s women, particularly the duo of Manika and Sreeja. Though contrasting in height, they share a common strategy of effectively utilizing their long-pimpled rubber on the backhand and mastering the trickery of flipping the rubber between points to confuse opponents. Sreeja, who had overtaken Manika in world rankings weeks before the Olympics, was seeded 16th, with Manika not far behind.
Manika faced her first major test against local sensation Prithika Pavade, who enjoyed the support of the French crowd and was riding high on confidence after leading France to bronze at the World Championship. Despite the pressure and a boisterous crowd, Manika, guided by national coach Massimo Costantini, secured a convincing 4-0 victory, only faltering when Prithika saved three match points in the fourth game. In the next round, Manika faced the eighth seed Miu Hirano, who edged her out to end her run. Despite the pre-quarterfinal loss, Manika’s third Olympic appearance, a first for an Indian female paddler, was her most successful outing.
Sreeja, making her Olympic debut, quickly adapted to the atmosphere and lived up to her billing. After a comfortable opening round, she faced seasoned Christina Kallberg of Sweden in the round of 32, emerging victorious with little trouble. Next, she faced top seed Sun Yingsha of China, the eventual silver medalist. While Sreeja ultimately lost 4-0, she had opportunities to create history by defeating a Chinese player, a rare feat in Olympic table tennis. Had she converted at least one of the nine game points she had over the first two games combined, she could have pulled off a major upset.
The duo, alongside Archana, led India to a thrilling 3-2 victory over fancied Romania in the women’s team championship pre-quarterfinals. Manika won both her singles matches, while the other two teamed up to win the doubles. In the quarterfinals, Annett Kaufmann, the teenage southpaw, unleashed her magic, ending India’s hopes of reaching a medal match for the first time at the Olympics.
Although they fell short of the podium, India’s women’s table tennis team achieved their most successful Olympic performance, largely thanks to their exceptional skills and determination. Their achievements serve as a testament to the progress of Indian table tennis and inspire future generations of athletes.
