NEW DELHI: Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee‘s remarkable journey at the Asian Games came to a thrilling close on Monday as they secured the bronze medal in the closely-contested women’s doubles semifinal. The Indian duo, who had been on a giant-slaying run throughout the competition, narrowly lost to a formidable North Korean pairing.
The match was a roller-coaster ride, showcasing the remarkable skills and resilience of both teams. The North Koreans, Sugyong Pak and Suyog Cha, emerged victorious in a hard-fought battle that lasted for 60 minutes, ultimately securing a 4-3 victory.
Asian Games Day 9
The final scoreline read 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 11-2 in favour of the North Koreans.
Sutirtha and Ayhika displayed their mettle by rallying from a 2-3 deficit to level the match. However, the North Koreans managed to outgun the Indian pair in the decisive seventh game, clinching victory when Sutirtha’s forehand shot met the net.

One of the highlights of their campaign was their stunning victory over the reigning world champions from China, Chen Meng and Yidi Wang, in the quarterfinals. Their journey has been an inspiring one for Indian table tennis enthusiasts.
With this bronze medal in the women’s doubles event, India concludes its table tennis campaign at the Asian Games. It is the lone table tennis medal that India has won at this edition of the Games.
(With inputs from PTI)