NEW DELHI: In a thrilling match on Monday, October 2, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee, hailing from the small town of Naihati in West Bengal, India, etched their names in history by clinching the bronze medal in the women's doubles table tennis event at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou. The Indian duo's remarkable journey to the podium was filled with both triumphs and challenges.
Their path to the bronze medal match was a rollercoaster ride. In the semi-final, Aykhika and Sutirtha faced formidable opponents, the North Korean pair of Sugyong Pak and Suyong Cha. The nail-biting match stretched for 59 minutes, and the Indian pair fought valiantly but ultimately fell short, losing 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 2-11.
However, their journey was not without its moments of glory. In a stunning upset on the preceding Saturday, Ayhika and Sutirtha shocked the table tennis world by defeating the Chinese champions, Chen Meng and Yidi Wang, with a scoreline of 11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9. This victory not only secured them a place in the medal match but also ensured that India would claim their first-ever medal in the women's doubles event at the Asian Games.
In the gold medal match, the North Korean duo of Pak and Cha displayed their dominance, securing eight match points to emerge victorious. They will now face off against the South Korean pair of Jihee Jeon and Yubin Shin in the final, having overcome Japan's Miyuu Kihara and Miwa Harimoto in the semi-finals.
Both Ayhika and Sutirtha have risen through the ranks of table tennis, driven by their passion for the sport instilled by their mothers. Ayhika, in particular, has been a prominent figure in Indian table tennis, representing the country in various international events, including the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games. As of June 20, 2023, she holds a world ranking of 131, with her highest ranking achieved on July 26, 2022, being 101.
Sutirtha's journey to success began in the junior divisions, where she showcased her talents and clinched titles in ITTF junior events starting from 2012. Despite facing a one-year ban in 2016 due to alleged age record discrepancies, she made a triumphant comeback, ultimately winning the women's singles title at the Senior National Table Tennis Championships in India in 2018.
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