Harmeet Desai Advances in Paris Olympics Table Tennis, Manu Bhaker Qualifies for Shooting Finals

India's Harmeet Desai advances to the Round of 64 in Olympic table tennis after defeating Jordan's Zaid Abo Yaman 4-0. Meanwhile, shooter Manu Bhaker qualified for the Women's 10 Metre Air Pistol final. The Indian team is eyeing to surpass their medal tally from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

India's Harmeet Desai has moved forward to the Round of 64 in the men's singles table tennis at the ongoing Paris Olympics, securing a decisive 4-0 win (11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5) over Jordan's Zaid Abo Yaman. With this victory in the preliminary round on Saturday, Desai will now face France's Felix Lebrun at the South Paris Arena on Sunday.

Desai opened the match on a strong note, achieving five consecutive points to secure the first game 11-7 in just six minutes. Although the second game was more competitive, Desai's dominance continued. He captured five points off his own serve to win the second game 11-9. The third game was relatively easier for Desai as he earned seven points from his serves, clinching the game 11-5 in seven minutes.

The Indian ace sealed his victory by taking the fourth game 11-5 in six minutes, winning five points consecutively in the final game. He wrapped up the match in 30 minutes, ensuring his spot in the main draw. Aiming to exceed their medal count from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Team India fields 117 athletes across 16 disciplines in Paris. The Games commenced on July 26 and will conclude on August 11.

Earlier on Saturday, top Indian shooter Manu Bhaker secured third place in the qualification round of the Women's 10 Metre Air Pistol event, qualifying for the final. Bhaker scored 97 points in the first two series, 98 in the third, and 96 in the final three to accumulate a total of 580-27x. However, her teammate Rhythm Sangwan ended in 15th place, falling short of the finals with 573-14x points.

In the men's 10 m air pistol event, Indian shooters Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Cheema did not qualify for the final round. Cheema finished in 18th place with 574-17x points, while Sarabjot ended in 9th place with 577-16x points, missing the cut for the medal round. (ANI)