Paris Olympics: Manika Batra and Co Fall to Germany in Women's TT Team Quarterfinals, Ending India's Table Tennis Campaign

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The Indian women's table tennis team saw their Olympic journey come to an end in the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics 2024, as they were defeated by Germany with a 1-3 scoreline.

This loss means India's table tennis campaign concludes without a medal, continuing their barren run in the sport at the Olympics.

Match Details

• Match 4: Sreeja Akula vs Annett Kaufman: 6-11, 7-11, 7-11 (0-3)
• Match 3: Archana Kamath vs Shan Xiaona: 19-17, 1-11, 11-5, 11-9 (1-3)
• Match 2: Manika Batra vs Annett Kaufmann: 11-8, 5-11, 7-11, 5-11 (0-3)
• Match 1: Archana Kamath/Sreeja Akula vs Yuan Wan/Shan Xiaona: 5-11, 11-8, 10-12, 6-11 (1-3)

The tie began with a doubles match where the Indian duo of Archana Kamath and Sreeja Akula faced Yuan Wan and Shan Xiaona. Despite a spirited fight, they lost 1-3, giving Germany an early lead. The scoreline was 5-11, 11-8, 10-12, 6-11, indicating a closely contested match that could have gone either way.

In the second match, India's top player, Manika Batra, brought the team back into contention by winning the first set against Annett Kaufmann 11-8. However, Kaufmann quickly adapted, winning the next three sets 5-11, 7-11, 5-11, to put Germany 2-0 up.

Archana Kamath then kept India's hopes alive with a hard-fought victory over Shan Xiaona. Kamath showed resilience, particularly in the first set, which she won 19-17. After dropping the second set 1-11, Kamath rebounded to take the next two sets 11-5, 11-9, securing India's only point in the tie.

The pressure was then on Sreeja Akula in the fourth match against Annett Kaufmann. Unfortunately for India, Kaufmann was in dominant form, winning in straight games 6-11, 7-11, 7-11, to seal the tie 3-1 in favour of Germany.

This defeat came a day after the Indian men's table tennis team lost to world number one China in the opening round. Despite these team losses, there were historic moments in the individual rounds where Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula reached the pre-quarterfinals. Batra made history by becoming the first Indian ever to reach the pre-quarters of the individual rounds.

India did not have any representation in the mixed doubles event, highlighting the areas for improvement and focus for future competitions.

As the Indian table tennis contingent wraps up their Olympic campaign, the performances of Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula in the individual rounds provide a silver lining and a foundation to build upon for future international tournaments. The journey, though ending without a medal, showcased the potential and fighting spirit of the Indian players on the world stage.