India’s men Table Tennis team outclassed by Chinese Taipei in Asian TT Championships semi-finals

Despite the loss, confirming their 3rd successive medal astatine the Asian Championships — they clinched bronze astatine the 2021 and 2023 editions — is simply a immense woody but the Indian team, led by seasoned Sharath Kamal, volition person to profoundly ponder however they tin rise their crippled to a level wherever they tin vie with the champion successful Asia. Mind you, the Taipei broadside is easy among the apical 4 successful Asia aft China, Japan, and Korea.

While the method of putting the shot backmost onto the array nary substance the instrumentality is simply a communal thread, the Indian women person managed to bushed apical players, utilizing their pimpled rubbers to outsmart their opponents portion besides moving tirelessly connected their fittingness and forehand attacks. In contrast, the men’s crippled is based connected sheer powerfulness and velocity wherever agility is key.

Former India subordinate Aman Balgu, who presently coaches Manika Batra said that the apical planetary players are supremely acceptable and that’s 1 of the cardinal differences.

“If you spot the apical players, they crook a batch more, staying little to the table. It’s not ever the lawsuit with our players. In bid to bash that consistently, you request immense fittingness and I consciousness that’s decidedly 1 country wherever if we improve, we tin nutrient amended results against apical players.”

Against the Taipei team, determination was a gulf successful people successful each 3 departments.

42-year-old Sharath opened the lucifer against the precise agile Yun-Ju. In presumption of technique, Sharath’s wealthiness of acquisition is unmatchable. He has been the Indian men’s array tennis flagbearer for astir 2 decades and there’s small that helium doesn’t cognize astir the sport. Yet Yun-Ju, who won the WTT Champions successful Frankfurt past year, was capable to masterfully predominate him by moving him from broadside to side. Sharath conscionable wasn’t capable to lucifer the gait and Yun-Ju’s down-the-line backhands were excessively overmuch for him to handle.

Paris: Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar and Sharath Kamal of India respond during the Men Team Round of 16 Match betwixt China and India of the Table Tennis competitions successful the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, astatine The South Paris Arena successful Paris, France, 06 August 2024. (EPA-EFE/RITCHIE B. TONGO VIA PTI)

After losing the opening crippled 11-7, Sharath tried to unit himself into the lucifer by holding a pb successful a 2nd game, taking it to tie-breakers, but conscionable couldn’t spell implicit the line. He had a 2-point pb successful the 3rd crippled too, but was wasteful with his serves, giving Yun-Ju to accidental to onslaught and instrumentality the match.

The lone agleam spark successful the full necktie came from World No. 60 Manav Thakkar taking a crippled disconnected World No. 22 Kao Cheng-Jui. Though helium mislaid the lucifer 3-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 13-11), barring the 3rd game, helium was ever successful the contest, adjacent taking the 4th crippled to tie-breakers wherever helium was unfortunate to concede a nett point.

In what turned retired to beryllium the last lucifer of the tie, Harmeet Desai was blown distant by World No. 70 Huang Yan-Cheng 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-7). Though Harmeet hasn’t been successful the champion of form, helium was expected to springiness Yan-Cheng a bully combat but the Taipei subordinate had an reply to each of his attacks. Harmeet conscionable wasn’t speedy capable to respond to Yan-Cheng’s returns that fell to his backhand and was repeatedly punished.

Coach Massimo Costantini told The Indian Express from Astana that portion helium was pleased with the show arsenic a whole, helium wants idiosyncratic players to measurement up and get those large wins.

“Technically oregon tactically we did thing wrong. We mislaid against a amended squad with amended players. I’m blessed with what we person achieved astatine this tourney though we each cognize that we person to improve. The mode we volition amended is by getting wins against apical players.

“Manav was playing against a top-20 subordinate but his hostile was really a small frightened of playing against him. That’s a bully motion but it’s lone if we get 1 large triumph is erstwhile we volition proceed getting large wins. That volition travel by playing unneurotic astatine much planetary tournaments,” the Italian said.

Manav told The Indian Express that by travelling and grooming arsenic a unit, they’re dilatory improving.

“We person squad meetings each time wherever we reappraisal everything. That happened lone sporadically earlier. It’s bully to get antithetic perspectives due to the fact that everyone present wants the different to amended and cipher points fingers astatine the other. It’s large due to the fact that we cognize there’s ever a squad to backmost america nary substance what.”