The Singapore Smash 2024 table tennis tournament witnessed a mixed bag of results for the Indian contingent. While seasoned player Achanta Sharath Kamal and the Mukherjee sisters, Sutirtha and Ayhika, advanced in their respective categories, the rest of the Indian players made early exits.

Sharath and Mukherjee Sisters advance to the next round in Singapore Smash

Sharath Kamal, a veteran in the sport, showcased his prowess by advancing to the Round of 32 in the men’s singles category. He defeated Chilean Nicholas Burgos in straight sets with scores of 11-5, 11-4, 11-6. His next challenge is Daro Jorgic of Slovenia.

In the women’s doubles, the Mukherjee sisters, Sutirtha and Ayhika, booked a place in the round of 16. They defeated the Japanese pair Miu Hirano and Miwa Harimoto in a closely fought match that ended 3-2 (11-8, 5-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-9) in favour of the Indians. Their next opponents are Adina Diaconu and Maria Xiao.

However, the tournament was not as successful for the remaining Indian players. In the women’s singles category, all three Indians competing in the main draw lost in the Round of 64.

Manika Batra’s dry run of games continued as she lost 3-0 (4-11, 7-11, 2-11) against China’s Wang Yidi. Sreeja Akula also lost to China’s Wang Manyu in a much more closely fought encounter, which ended 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11) in favour of the Chinese. Sutirtha too lost 3-2 to Monaco’s Xiaoxin Yang with scores of 4-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, and 10-12 respectively.

The mixed doubles category also proved fruitless for the Indian duo Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran. They lost to the Brazilian pair Vitor Ishiy and Bruna Takahashi by a set as the scoreline read 2-3 (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11).

Despite these early exits, the Indian table tennis contingent had entered the Singapore Smash 2024 with high hopes, especially after their positive outings at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championship that enabled India to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The performance of Sharath Kamal and the Mukherjee sisters has been a silver lining for the Indian team. Their victories have not only kept India’s hopes alive in the tournament but also showcased the potential of Indian table tennis on the international stage.

The early exits of the other players, however, underline the challenges that Indian table tennis faces. It highlights the need for more consistent performances across all categories and levels of competition.

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