Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Krasto faced a setback in their women’s doubles badminton campaign at the Paris Olympics, losing to Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. The match, which lasted 48 minutes, saw the Indian pair defeated by the world No. 4 team with scores of 21-11, and 21-12. Ranked 19th globally, Ponnappa and Krasto are currently third in their group, trailing behind Japan and Korea. With only the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals, their hopes hinge on the outcome of their next match against Australia’s Setiana Mopasa and Angela Yu.
In table tennis, India’s Harmeet Desai’s challenge ended at the Paris Olympics. After a promising start with a victory over Jordan’s Zaid Abo Yaman, Desai was defeated by 17-year-old French player LeBrun Felix in his second men’s singles match. Felix outplayed the 31-year-old Indian with scores of 11-8, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, wrapping up the match in just 28 minutes. Desai’s journey, marked by his initial 4-0 win in 30 minutes, concluded with this defeat.
These results mark a disappointing turn for India’s badminton and table tennis contingents at the Paris Olympics. Ponnappa and Krasto’s upcoming match will determine their fate in the tournament, while Desai’s exit underscores the challenges faced by Indian athletes in their pursuit of Olympic glory.
