During the women’s singles competition at the Paris Olympics, Indian table tennis player Sreeja Akula faced a challenging match against China’s Yingsha Sun, the world’s number one player. Unfortunately, Sreeja lost 0-4 in the pre-quarterfinals, with scores of 10-12, 10-12, 8-11, 3-11, within a 38-minute match. This defeat came shortly after Sreeja made history as the second Indian table tennis player to reach the Round of 16 at the Olympics. The first Indian paddler to achieve this milestone was Manika Batra, who was defeated 1-4 by Japan’s Miu Hirano in the Round of 16.
Prior to her match against Yingsha Sun, Sreeja displayed remarkable resilience by securing a hard-fought victory of 4-2 against Singapore’s Jian Zeng in the Round of 32. This victory marked a significant moment for Indian table tennis. Celebrating her 26th birthday, Sreeja clinched the match with a score of 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5, 10-12, 12-10.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, India’s TT coach Massimo Constantini viewed the Paris Olympics as a valuable warm-up for future endeavors. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a winning mentality consistently to aim for even greater achievements in the upcoming Olympic cycles.
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