Kolkata, Mar 20 (UNI) A. Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra, after all,
will now be a part of the Indian table tennis
contingent at the Tokyo Olympics this July-August.
The Indians, staging a fine comeback, defeated South Korea’s Lee
Sangsu and Jeon Jihee 4-2 (8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 13-11, 11-8) in the
mixed doubles of the Asian Qualifications in Doha on Saturday.
Thus, the two have etched their names in the history books to be the
first Indian pair to qualify for a mixed event in the introductory
Games at Tokyo, according to Table Tennis Federation of India secretary
general Arun Kumar Banerjee.
The Indians had a 1-1 win-loss record before today’s final against the
Korean pair—the Indians won at the Asian Games (Jakarta) and the
Koreans, in Germany in 2019.
It was a creditable performance because the Indians, trailing 0-2, had
to restore parity first and then gradually up the ante, particularly
in the fifth and sixth games, to outsmart the top-seeded Koreans. In
that sense, the fifth and sixth games were rather crucial. The
timeouts—the Indians took it in the fifth, and the Koreans in the
sixth—proved vital for the Indians.
Leading comfortably at 7-3 in the fifth, the Indians let the Koreans
come too close at 8-7. And when they made it 8-8, it was anybody’s
game from that point. The Koreans squandered two game points at 10-9
and 11-10, but the Indians grabbed their at 12-11 to win 13-11.
“The fifth game was very crucial. Even before we were trying to open
out, the Koreans finished the points. Their lead was sizable, but
Manika could slow down to enable me to attack and play aggressively.
We saved two game points in the end to win and it gave us the
confidence,” said an exhausted Sharath after the match.
In the sixth, it was the Koreans on the ascendancy all the way,
leading 4-8. The Indians slowly made it 7-8 when the Koreans took
their timeout. But it was the Indians who made it 8-all and then
collected the remaining three points for seven on the trot.
Describing the sixth game, Sharath said it was equally fantastic. “We
thought we lost it because a four-point lead was considerable. But
Manika did well to adjust to my pace and I could play my attacking
game. It was necessary at that point of time,” added Sharath.
In the 56 minutes of play, the second-seeded pair had conceded a
maximum of six points lead to their opponents while overcoming four
deficit points. They also won more service points as compared to their
opponents.
Expressing their collective sigh of relief, Sharath said the results
were incredible. But he did admit that the two needed to play more
often now that the two have qualified for the mixed event to hit a
rhythm. “We will have to sit down and chalk out our plans. We cannot
tour Europe or elsewhere because of the situation. Probably, the WTT
China hug could be the best option for the moment. Let’s see what is
in store,” said Sharath, talking of their plans for the immediate
future.
Sharath admitted that the duo would aim for a quarterfinal place in
Tokyo because that will be more than a satisfying performance in the
Olympics. “I think if we can reach the quarters, it would be a
fantastic result for us at the Games. Anything else from there is a
bonus,” said Sharath.
The duo, however, will have to wait for their singles entry
confirmation at the Games, based on their next month’s world rankings.
UNI PC RN