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HANGZHOU — The Indian teams started their campaigns in the Asian Games table tennis competition here on Friday with the men winning both their preliminary round matches while the women getting the better of a strong Singapore side at the GSP Gymnasium.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The Indian men blanked Yemen 3-0 in their opening match in the morning and then took the table again in the evening session to overcome Singapore 3-1 in preliminary round Group F.
The women's team had to fight hard to quell a strong Singapore 3-2 with seasoned players Manika Batra and Ayhika Mukherjee winning one and losing one match while Sreeja Akula won her match to help India overcome Singapore in a Group F match.
The men's team set the ball rolling on a winning note when it blanked Yemen 3-0 in their opening rubber as the 41-year-old Achanta Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai barely broke a sweat in winning their matches 3-0 each.
They came back to the court in the evening with Sathiyan starting off by beating Yong Izaac Quek 3-1 (5-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6). Harmeet Desai made it 2-0 for India with a hard-fought 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 6-11, 11-5 win, failing to close out the match in three games.
India had a scare of sorts when Commonwealth Games men's singles gold medallist Sharath Kamal went down to the 123-ranked Zhe Yu Clarence Chew 11-13, 6-11, 12-10, 6-11.
Sathiyan then stepped up to the table to beat Yew En Koen Pang 11-7, 10-12, 11-9, and 11-6 to seal victory for India.
In the women's section, the Indian team started off on a disappointing note when Ayhika went down in four games to Jian Zeng after winning the first game, 11-7, 2-11, 7-11, 10-12.
Manika pulled India level by beating Jingyi Zhou 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-3 and Sreeja Akula made it 2-1 for India with a hard-fought 12-14, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11.
But just when India thought of wrapping up the match with Manika at the table, things went south for them as the Indian lost to Jian Zeng 3-11, 11-3, 10-12, 12-10, 10-12 in a nerve-jingling encounter.
However, the Indian women could not be denied on Friday as Ayhika then stepped up and defeated Jingyi Zhou 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5 to clinch the match for India.
Asian Games: Indian men's volleyball team remain on course to history with 3-0 rout of Chinese Taipei
HANGZHOU — India last won a medal in volleyball in the Asian Games 37 years ago. On Friday, the Indian men's team set themselves up for a shot at the medals when it defeated Chinese Taipei for their third successive victory in the knockout rounds for the first time in more than three decades.
In a cross-match for the Top 12 positions on Friday, India defeated Chinese Taipei 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-21 in one hour and 20 minutes at the China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium.
It was a great performance by the Indian team as Chinese Taipei had won the bronze medal in the 2018 Games. India will now meet former champions Japan in the quarterfinals. If they win that match, India will get into the semifinals and be in medal contention.
Overall, India has won a silver and two bronze medals in volleyball at the Asian Games, their last medal -- a bronze -- coming at Seoul in 1986.
In the 19th Asian Games here, India had started with a 3-0 win against Cambodia and then stunned South Korea, silver medallist in the Jakarta Asian Games in 2018, 3-2 in their second match. That them up for a Cross Match against Chinese Taipei who had finished second in Pool D after losing to Pakistan 3-0 and beating Mongolia by the same margin.
On Friday, India fought back after conceding the lead in the first two sets while the Chinese Taipei team negated their lead but the Indians fought back again to win the match.
"In the first set, they had a four-point lead at one time. But we fought back strongly and went on to win the set. It was a good match in a crazy sense of way but we managed to do well. For us libero Hari Prasad played well. Me, Ashwal, and Amit had a steady game and played at the same standard," said skipper Vinit Kumar.
He said they did not expect the match to end in straight sets. "I was expecting a tougher match, at least to go to four sets if not five. They are experienced players and play at a fast pace. But we managed to match their pace," said Vinit.
In the final analysis, wing spiker Amit scored 16 points for India while skipper Vinit Kumar contributed 12 points. Middle blocker Ashwat pulled off five blocks from 9 attempts while also effecting eight spikes for 14 points (one point off an ace serve).
Setter Apapvu Muthusamy said the team was confident of victory from the start and said their service and block worked well on Friday.
"We came into the match confident that we could win. Our service and our block worked, so we are glad," he said.
Appavu said their focus now will be on the match against Japan as that will get them into the semifinals.
"If we win the next match against Japan and qualify for the semi-finals then we will be confident that we can win a medal. It would be great to go to the final.
"Tomorrow (Saturday) there are no matches, we will rest, and then we will find out how we can beat them," he said.
The Indian team's head coach Jaideep Sarkar said he was confident of his team beating Chinese Taipei as Pakistan had beaten the same team in three sets a couple of days back.
"I was expecting such a result as Pakistan had beaten the same team 3-0 in the league phase. We were confident of winning as we are playing well and the confidence is high," he said.
About the next match against Japan, the head coach said his boys were confident going into that match. "They are a tough and strong team. But today's win has given a morale booster for us and with the morale so high, the boys can do anything," said Sarkar after the match.
Anurag Thakur cancels China visit after Indian athletes denied entry in Asian Games, Centre lodges protest
NEW DELHI — Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur on Friday cancelled his visit to China for the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, as a mark of protest against that country's decision to deny accreditation and entry to the Indian Wushu team players for the mega sports event.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "Government of India has learnt that the Chinese authorities have, in a targeted and pre-meditated manner, discriminated against some of the Indian sportspersons from the state of Arunachal Pradesh by denying them accreditation and entry to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
"In line with our long-standing and consistent position, India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India," he added.
"A strong protest has been lodged in New Delhi and Beijing against China's deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersons. China’s action violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states," he further informed.
Informing that the minister has cancelled his visit to China to attend the Asian Games, Bagchi said, "Government of India reserves the right to take suitable measures to safeguard our interests."
Three wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh have not been able to travel to Hangzhou, China for the Asian Games in the absence of clearance by the Chinese authorities.
Minister for earth sciences and MP from Arunachal Pradesh, Kiren Rijiju also condemned the action by China.
"I strongly condemn this act by China to deny visas to our Wushu Athletes from Arunachal Pradesh who were to participate in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. This violates both the spirit of Sports & also the Rules governing the conduct of Asian Games, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states," Rijiju posted on X.
"Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed territory but inalienable part of India. Entire people of Arunachal Pradesh resolutely oppose any illegal claim of China on it's land and people. International Olympic Committee should reign in China's illegitimate action," he added further.