India’s women’s table tennis team, consisting of Poymantee Baisya, Moumita Dutta, and Yashini Sivasankar, secured India’s first medal at the 2024 BRICS Games held in Kazan, Russia, by clinching the bronze. Despite a semifinal loss to China, the team showed resilience throughout the tournament.
Yashini Sivasankar set the tone early by winning her opening match against Wang Xiaonan in a closely contested battle (11-7, 4-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-2). This victory gave India a promising start, but China fought back strongly, winning three consecutive matches to take the tie 3-1.
Earlier rounds saw the Indian team dominate, securing their semifinal berth with commanding 3-0 victories over Bahrain and Belarus. In contrast, the Indian men’s team of Anirban Ghosh, Jeet Chandra, and Snehit Suravajjula finished in fifth place overall. They managed a 3-1 win over Bahrain in the 5th-6th place playoff but narrowly missed out on a medal after a close 2-3 defeat to Iran in the quarterfinals.
Looking ahead, the focus shifts to individual events starting from May 15th, with Indian athletes participating across various sports including Wushu, Rowing, Tennis, and Table Tennis. The upcoming highlights of Athletics and Boxing are scheduled to commence the following Saturday, promising more action and opportunities for India to shine on the international stage.
