Achanta Sharath Kamal: The Indian men’s team launched its campaign in the Asian Games table tennis team competition with an easy 3-0 win against lowly Yemen in preliminary round Group F here on Friday.The team comprising Commonwealth Games singles gold medallist Achanta Sharath Kamal, multiple-time National Champion G Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai blanked Yemen 3-0 in the best of five matches encounter with all three Indians winning their respective matches without even breaking a sweat.
Sathiyan started the proceedings with an 11-3, 11-2, 11-6 win over OAA Ali of Yemen in the opening tie. Sharad Kamal then made it 2-0 for India with a straight games win over, EAM Gubran, winning 11-3, 11-4, 11-6 in the preliminary round match played at the GSP Gymnasium here.
Harmeet Desai clinched victory for India in the rubber by winning the third match 11-1, 11-1, 11-7 against MAA Aldhubhani of Yemen.
Talking about their opening match, India’s Sharad Kamal said. It was an easy match for them as Yemen had a young team. He said it was good to start their campaign on a winning note.
“It was kind of a warm-up match for us. They are a young team,” he said.
Asked how did they guard against complacency seeping into their game going into an easy match, Sharad Kamal said they can’t afford to take any match lightly as they have to prepare themselves for the local conditions considering in matches later in the competition, they may be playing some tough matches with China playing on the adjacent table. “With the kind of support they will get from the crows as they are playing at home, you have to get used to playing in such conditions. So, we can’t be complacent,” he added.
India will be playing Singapore later in the evening in the preliminary league.
