Asian Games 2023: Sutirtha Mukherjee And Auhika Mukherjee Bring Home Historic Bronze In Table Tennis Women’s Doubles Event

Indian paddlers Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee lost 3-4 (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 2-11) in the Asian Games 2023 women's doubles semifinal.

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Hangzhou: Sutirtha Mukherjee and Auhika Mukherjee’s giant-slaying run ended with a historic bronze medal at the Asian Games after the Indian duo lost the closely-fought women's doubles semifinal 3-4 to North Korea on Monday. Sutirtha and Ayhika lost 3-4 (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 2-11) to Suyong Cha and Sugyong Pak but grabbed the bronze following a sensational victory over world champions from China on Saturday.

With the result, the Indian challenge ended at the Games. The medal came from an unexpected event with the Indian duo beating the Chinese pair of Meng Chen and Yidi Wang in the quarterfinals. In 2018, India made history by picking up an unprecedented men's team and mixed doubles bronze.

The difference in the contest on Monday from the quarterfinal match was the fact that the North Koreans were not as troubled in the game by the anti-spin rubber of Ayhika unlike the rattled Chinese pair. “We failed to show the patience which they did. We were a little nervous in the last game and they attacked well to finish the points,” said Sutirtha.

“But we are happy for a podium finish, the first in women’s doubles,” added Ayhika.

The Indians needed to sustain the attack in the last game but were not able to do so. In fact, the North Koreans went on a counter-offensive to take a 6-1 lead.

The spirited Indian pair had no answer to that and their fate was sealed when Sutirtha netted a forehand. Nevertheless, it was still a monumental achievement by the Indians who are now ready to build on their success.

Many congratulations to Ayhika and Sutirtha Mukherjee on winning the #BronzeMedal in the Women's Doubles Table Tennis event.

Let's #Cheer4india __ #WeAreTeamIndia | #IndiaAtAG22 pic.twitter.com/b2naWrLQoe — Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) October 2, 2023

India make quarters in all six archery team events

Indian archers showed tenacity and authority in equal measure to storm into the quarterfinals in all the six team events of the Asian Games 2023 on Monday. The Indians played five team elimination rounds and dropped just one set on the way to their respective quarterfinal matches.

India have got a bye into the quarters by virtue of topping the qualifications in the women’s compound team event. First, it was the top-seeded compound mixed team of Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam, who showed the way as they dropped just one point from 16 arrows to eliminate UAE’s Amna Alawadhi and Mohammed Binamro 159-151.

The duo will take on formidable Malaysia (No 8 seed) in the quarters, and thereafter, they should have an easy draw till the final. Then, the Indian recurve mixed pair duo of Atanu Das and Ankita Bhakat were at their resilient best and overcome a first-set deficit to defeat Malayasia in a three-setter.

The fifth seeded Indian duo of Das and Ankita rallied to beat Malaysian team of Syaqiera Binti Mashayikh and Muhamad Zarif Syahir Bin Zolkepeli 6-2 (39-38, 37-36, 39-33). The Malaysia pair enjoyed a 2-0 lead with three 10s including one X in the first set. But, the experienced Indian duo bounced back with two 10s and went on to draw level, as the Malaysians crumbled under pressure.

The Malaysians hit the red-ring (8) once and went on to lose the second by a slender one-point margin. There was more misery in store for the Malaysians who shot into the red ring thrice (8-8-8), while Das-Ankita drilled in three perfect 10s en route to a six-point win in the third set.

The Indian pair sealed the issue with three more 10s in the fourth set and set up a last-eight clash against the fourth-seeded Indonesians. Should they overcome the Indonesian challenge, the Indians may run into the top-seeded Koreans in a potential semifinal clash in the Olympic-qualifying event.

There are six quota spots available from the Asian Games – the recurve mixed team winners and two archers ranked high in the individual events. In compound men’s team event, the second-seeded Indians trio of Ojas, Abhishek Verma and Prathamesh Jawkar thrashed 15th seed Singapore (Woon Teng NG, Lee Chung Hee Alan, Jun Hui Goh) 235-219.

The Indian triumvirate had a cautious start and had four 10s to take a 58-55 lead. But the Indians came on their own from second end onwards and dropped just three points to rout their rivals by a 16-point margin. The compound men’s team is pitted against lower-ranked Bhutan in the quarters and will likely face the third seeded Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.

The top-seeded Indian women’s compound team of Jyothi, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur, who got a bye into the quarters, will open its campaign against ninth-seeded Hong Kong, who ousted Bangladesh 225-218. The Indian men’s recurve team of Das, Dhiraj and Tushar Shelke beat Hong Kong’s Kwok Yin Chai, Law Kwun Pok Lucien and Wn Chun Kit 6-0 (58-47, 57-49, 57-55) in a lopsided contest.

The third-seeded Indians, who face lower-ranked Mongolia (No 11) in the last-eight, have an easy draw till the final, with Korea and Japan in the top half. The unfancied women’s recurve team of Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur and Simranjeet Kaur also shone through, ousting 12th seeded Thailand.

The fifth-seeded Indians won 5-1 (49-47, 54-54, 55-54) and are pitted against fourth-seeded Japan in a tough quarterfinal match-up.