World Table Tennis Championships: Thakkar stretches world no. 4, Manika disappoints
Manav Thakkar put up a spirited fight against world number four Harimoto Tomokazu before going down in the round of 64 while Manika Batra produced an ordinary showing against lower-ranked Park Gahyeon to exit the World Table Tennis Championships in Doha on Tuesday.
Thakkar, ranked 48th, matched his more accomplished Japanese opponent stroke for stroke in the third and fifth game before going down 11-13, 3-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 3-11.
Though he lost, Thakkar would be pleased with his performance, having outlasted Harimoto in a number of long rallies through the match.
In the women's singles, 46th ranked Manika looked out of sorts against world number 130 Park from South Korea. To Park's credit, she comfortably tackled the long pimpled rubber that Manika uses on the backhand.
Also read | Kidambi Srikanth advances to main draw of Malaysia Masters 2025
What contributed to Manika's downfall was a series of unforced errors from her forehand.
The Indian lost 8-11, 7-11, 5-11, 8-11.
A little later, 88th ranked Diya Chitale could not match the class of Chen I Ching from Chinese Taipei, losing 3-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 5-11.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘UP wrestler will win Olympic medal in 2028'
1 2 3 4 The trials to select the Indian team for the Under-20 Asian Wrestling Championship, scheduled to be held from July 8 to 13 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, held at the Regional Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility on Saturday. On the sidelines of the trials, Fazal Khan spoke to the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Sanjay Singh, about various aspects of wrestling, ongoing training camps, and preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Excerpts: Q: What steps are being taken to popularise wrestling at the grassroots level across the country? A: Since I took over the Wrestling Federation of India, there have been many positive developments. Last year, our female athletes won several medals at the Under-17 and Under-23 Asian Championships held in Jordan, and our women wrestlers were crowned champions at the Under-17 World Championship. We are closely monitoring the performance and fitness of every athlete competing nationally and internationally. We remain in constant touch with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) regarding the athletes' dietary needs and any additional requirements. Issues related to training camps have been resolved — men are training in Lucknow, and women in Sonipat. Recently, the Indian wrestling team participated in the World Championship Rankings, and five women wrestlers returned with gold medals. India won a total of 21 medals. Q: Why hasn't Uttar Pradesh produced as many international players as states like Punjab and Haryana? A: You could say that Haryana excels not only in wrestling but in all sports. One key reason is the active involvement of parents and good coaches in the athletes' development, which contributes greatly to their success. Q: Two WFI presidents, including yourself and your predecessor, have come from UP. Do you think a world-class wrestling arena can be set up in the state? A: When Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was WFI president, he met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and there was a plan to build a large, world-class wrestling arena in Lucknow. However, no work has started on it yet. I urge the chief minister to consider restarting this project. Q: Do you think we need more trained coaches to guide wrestlers from the grassroots to the senior level? A: The Wrestling Federation of India conducts United World Wrestling (UWW) Level One, Level Two, and Level Three courses for coaches every six months. In WFI programmes, it is mandatory for any coach involved to have completed the UWW Level One course — without it, they are not allowed to coach. Q: How prepared is WFI for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics? A: We are expecting to win around five medals at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. A female wrestler from Uttar Pradesh is also expected to bring home a medal this time. Q: What steps are being taken at the grassroots level to discover budding talent across the country? A: WFI is actively identifying wrestlers at the grassroots level. Talented individuals are being discovered through small wrestling academies — many of them run by former wrestlers — and local tournaments. We then provide them opportunities to compete in bigger tournaments and eventually bring them into the SAI system.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bravo, Bavuma's boys
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. South Africa became Test champ thanks to grit & patience. Pointers for a young Indian team Choker' is the unkindest of labels in sport. It means you have the talent, but not the temperament to win, especially when it matters most. It means your defeats are caused as much by your opponents as by the demons in your head. It is a terrible cross to bear and post-apartheid South Africa carried it in cricket for nearly three decades. Starting from Allan Donald's needless run-out against Australia in 1999 ODI World Cup semifinal to their capitulation from a dominant position against India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final – the Proteas frequently settled for failure when success looked eager for an embrace. In the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's, South Africa rewrote the script, buried the tag of 'choker' forever. They were up against an opponent which relishes the big stage and seldom concedes an inch. But this time captain Temba Bavuma and his men didn't need any. In a high pressure encounter, where every delivery was fiercely contested over four days, South Africa played the game, ignored the occasion. Opener Aiden Markram's 136 will rank among the greatest Test innings of all time. Paceman Kagiso Rabada (5/51 and 4/59) was the knife that cut through Australia. But it was injured captain Bavuma's 66 that was inspirational, typifying the new determined South Africa which deservedly became champions. Hopefully, the triumph will also act as a unifier in a country increasingly torn apart by differences within. South Africa's triumph also carries a lesson or two for a largely inexperienced Team India touring England. Australia were the favourites to win. But S Africa bowled with fire, batted with patience and discipline. They never gave up. They believed. Captain Gill and company would do well to imbibe these traits on a tour that will test them hard. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
India suffer sixth consecutive defeat in Pro League, lose 2-3 to Australia
The Indian men's hockey team's wretched run in the European leg of the FIH Pro League continued as it endured a sixth defeat in a row, losing 3-2 to Australia, here Sunday. India has already lost matches to Netherlands and Argentina even as all the games were close. Former India captain Manpreet Singh, who played his 400th match on Sunday, failed to inspire his side despite taking the early lead. Sanjay (3rd minute) and Dilpreet Singh (36th) scored for India, while Tim Brand (4th), Blake Govers (5th) and Cooper Burns (18th) sounded the board for Australia. The men's team will next play Belgium here on June 21. In London, the women's team fought on equal terms against Australia but conceded a last-minute goal to lose 2-1. This was India's second consecutive defeat to Australia. India took the lead in the third minute through a field goal from Vaishnavi Phalke and maintained the 1-0 lead at half time. But Australia restored parity in the 37th minute through Amy Lawton. The match was heading towards a draw but Lexie Pickering scored the winner from a penalty-corner variation in the 60th minute to break Indian hearts. The men will next play Belgium in Antwerp on June 21 while the women go up against Argentina in London on Tuesday. The results: Men: At Antwerp: Australia 3 (Tim Brand 4, Blake Govers 5, Cooper Burns 18) bt India 2 (Sanjay 3, Dilpreet Singh 36). Women: At London: Australia 2 (Amy Lawton 37, Lexie Pickering 60) bt India 1 (Vaishnavi Phalke 3).
