WTT Star Contender Goa 2024: Ayhika, Manav kickstart with wins; Sharath loses

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Indian paddlers Manav Thakkar and Ayhika Mukherjee made a strong start to their participation in the WTT Star Contender Goa 2024, securing comfortable victories on Tuesday (January 23) at the Peddem Indoor Stadium in Mapusa, Goa.

In the Men's Singles - Qualifying Round 3, Manav Thakkar defeated Anshuman Agarwal in straight games with a score of 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-4). He is now set to face Senegal's Ibrahima Diaw in the upcoming round.

Ayhika Mukherjee showcased her skills in the women's singles category, triumphing over Sayali Wani with a convincing 3-0 (11-9, 11-2, 12-10) victory in Qualifying Round 2. Meanwhile, Poymantee Baisya secured a 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-7) win against Pritha Priya Vartikar in Qualifying Round 1.

On the other hand, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sanil Shetty faced setbacks in the Men's Singles - Qualifying Round 2, resulting in their exit from the tournament. Sharath Kamal lost to South Korea's Kang Dongsoo with a score of 2-3 (11-6, 12-10, 4-11, 15-17, 3-11), while Sanil Shetty was defeated by Algeria's Mehdi Bouloussa with a score of 3-2 (14-12, 11-9, 11-13, 7-11, 11-6).

The tournament, scheduled from January 23 to 28 at the Peddem Indoor Stadium in Mapusa, Goa, is co-hosted by Stupa Sports Analytics and Ultimate Table Tennis under the guidance of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).

In the mixed doubles category, Manush Shah and Diya Chitale secured a 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-6) victory against the Indonesian pair of Quek Izaac and Zhou Jingyi. Sreeja Akula and Snehit Suravajjula also advanced to Qualifying Round 2 by defeating Pang Koen and Wong Ru of Indonesia with a score of 3-1 (11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8).

Fans eager to witness world-class table tennis action can secure their tickets through BookMyShow. The tournament's live coverage is available on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & Sony Sports Ten 2 HD channels and can be streamed live on the Sony Liv app.