Table Tennis

Sharath Kamal felt that it was one of the greatest wins after qualifying for Tokyo Olympics in Mixed Doubles

 

After securing their Singles berth for Tokyo Olympics, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra also qualified in Mixed Doubles for Tokyo after a big win at the Asian Olympic Qualification.

The Indian pair who were second ranked in the event defeated World No. 5 South Korean pair of Sang-Su Lee and Jihee Jeon 4-2 in the finals to book their ticket to Tokyo in Mixed Doubles. The Indian pair turned the tables when they won six consecutive points in the third game to script a great comeback win.

After the historic win, Sharath Kamal emphasised the win calling it one of the greatest in Mixed Doubles. “I can tell you this is nothing short of phenomenal,” Kamal said in an official media release. “It is one of the biggest victories for Manika and me. I have been sleepless since 5 am in the morning and was under a lot of pressure as this was our only shot to qualify for the Olympics.”

“We started off with two losses but this victory against such top-ranked players will surely give us the confidence and belief of being strong medal contenders for the Tokyo Games,” he added.

The 38-year-old was also mightily impressed with his partner, Manika Batra. She controlled the tempo of the game and allowed Kamal to play his natural attacking shots with complete freedom. He felt that the tight five game changed the course of the match.

“Manika was really fantastic and that helped me as I had the liberty to be a lot more creative and play attacking shots. And when I play like that, I am really dangerous. She is a great reader of the game and has played some exceptional table tennis in the last two days,” Kamal added.

With the ranking of 63, Manika Batra is the highest ranked Indian Women’s player and she was delighted with the way things turned out and how she could manage to keep top paddlers like Jihee Jeon and Lee Sang-Su quiet.

“I was really happy with myself to be able to withstand the attack and services of a player like Lee Sang Su and Jin Jihee. Sharath Bhaiya capitalised well with his attack to keep the pressure on them . I am very happy that along with singles we could even make it in maiden mixed doubles by beating the Korean and Singapore pair,” she said.

This will be the first time that a Table Tennis Mixed Doubles event will be happening at the Olympics therefore it is a historic feat for Indian and for both the players. Apart from that Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Gnanasekaran Sathiyan and Sutirtha Mukherjee have already booked their tickets for the Tokyo Olympics in the Singles category.

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Roger Federer says tennis is finally in post-Serena Williams, Nadal & himself era with Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner

Legendary Roger Federer believes tennis has finally gone past the epic eras of Serena Williams,… Read More

September 19, 2025

Hansi Flick praises ‘fantastic’ Marcus Rashford after win against Newcastle

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick lauded Marcus Rashford after the win against Newcastle United. In… Read More

September 19, 2025

Ravi Shastri urges management to take care of fast bowlers, says India can win a lot of World Cups if fast bowling clicks

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes the Indian team must take care of the… Read More

September 19, 2025

Mohammad Kaif lauds Suryakumar Yadav, says he is a proper replacement for Rohit Sharma amid Asia Cup

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif showered praise on Suryakumar Yadav and said he is a… Read More

September 19, 2025

Aakash Chopra urges India’s think tank to give batting opportunity to Sanju Samson in Asia Cup clash against Oman

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has urged India’s management to give batting opportunity to… Read More

September 19, 2025

Sanjay Bangar predicts Sanju Samson’s batting position for the Asia Cup 2025 match against Oman

Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has predicted that Sanju Samson might bat in the… Read More

September 19, 2025