Thrills and Spills at the Asian Team Table Tennis Championships

The 28th ITTF-ATTU Asian Team Table Tennis Championships began in thrilling fashion, with group stage matches unfolding as anticipated in Bhubaneswar, India. While hosting team India among other top-seeded teams enjoyed rest on the first day, other teams took to the tables to deliver bouts of energy and excitement, characteristic of Asia's premier table tennis event.

The men's fixtures saw Kazakhstan's team, even without their top player Kirill Gerassimenko, dominate Kyrgyzstan. Players Alan Kurmangliyev and Sanzhar Zhubanov put Kazakhstan ahead 2-0, before Aidos Kenzhigulov secured a hard-fought victory to finalize their win. Sri Lanka also shone, rallying from an initial loss to win against Kyrgyzstan, led by Chameera Ginige and Chanul Kulappuwawadu.

In the women's matches, Macau (China) engaged in a tense back-and-forth with Uzbekistan, ultimately emerging victorious 3-2 thanks to key performances from Huang Cheong Leng and Seak Hui Li. The initial day's performances set high expectations for the upcoming knockout stages as only the group leaders advance forward.

(With inputs from agencies.)