The women’s table tennis team of India makes history as they grab their first medal at the Asian Championships. Their quarterfinal match saw them make an incredible reversal by eliminating and upending the Olympic bronze medalists in South Korea 3 -2.
The undisputed Central Figure in this situation is Ayhika Mukherjee who helped her side with 2 wins against world ranked opponents. She played the very first match with Shin Yubin, World Number 8 and managed to defeat her in five thunderous sets. Now she is in the ring with World Number 16 Jeon Jihee and won it anyway.
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Most of all, India was aided by the Manika Batra who defeated Jeon Jihee. Nevertheless, the South Koreans repelled back with strikes from Lee Eunhye and Shin Yubin meaning that the alphabets decided to play a third one final and the tie breaker.
Having already played and won two matches which was central to India’s table tennis efforts, and how she finally edged Ayhika Mukherjee concerning the clincher match.
Calm and persistent under pressure, Ayhika Mukherjee defeated Jeon Jihee in an exciting game, helping ensure India has a medal in the Asia Cup, the team’s maiden medal in history at the tournament.
Through sheer determination and exceptional abilities demonstrated in the final match, she contributed at the center of India’s ultimate victory.
In the last few years, the Indian women’s table tennis team has been gradually improving. Their quarterfinal finish at the Paris Olympic Games was indicative of their ascent as an international force. Since her comeback, Ayhika Mukherjee who was omitted from the Olympic squad due to Archana Kamath’s surprise resignation, has proved her worth.
Ayhika Mukherjee is well-versed in this kind of gameplay and she is capable of causing upsets even against opponents ranked much higher than her. She has previously beaten several top-ranked table tennis players including the World number one Sun Yinghsa of China. It has kept her recognition intact as one of the youngest forces of Indian table tennis from attaining the stature of Kanak Jha through excessive pressure on herself. Such was the case for Ayhika who has triumphed over many of the best in the country and instilled much pride for the nation and other young aspiring table tennis players in India.
The significance of India’s triumph over South Korea extends beyond just earning them a medal at the Asian Championships, it is a message well put across to the world. No doubt, this performance is a result of the hard work of players as well as the coaching staff. As the competition is still on and India skims through it, they would be looking for even more and winning a medal.
