Paris Olympics: Manika-led India beat Romania 3-2 to enter quarterfinals of women's TT team event
Paris, Aug 5: Star player Manika Batra led from the front as India prevailed over higher-ranked Romania 3-2 in a thrilling tie and made a memorable entry into the quarterfinals of the women's table tennis team competition at the Paris Olympics here on Monday.
Leading 2-0, India saw Romania fight back to draw level at 2-2 but in the decider, Manika delivered for her side.
Sreeja Akula and Archana Kamath started the proceedings with a 11-9 12-10 11-7 win over Adina Diaconu and Elizabeta Samara in a doubles match.
Manika made short work of higher-ranked Bernadette Szocs in a 11-5 11-7 11-7 victory as India took a comfortable 2-0 lead in the tie against their fourth-seeded opponents. India are seeded 11th in the competition.
In the second singles match however, things did not go in India's favour as Sreeja went down 2-3 (11-8 4-11 11-7 6-11 8-11) to European champion Samara after winning the first game.
Sreeja's defeat paved the way for a face-off between Archana and Bernadette and the latter won the first game 11-5, but the Indian bagged the second 11-8 to restore parity. However, Bernadette won the next two games 11-7 11-9 to clinch the match and send the tie to the decider.
Manika then blanked Adina 3-0 (11-5 11-9 11-9) to seal the tie in India's favour.
"The first match was very crucial. I think we pulled out a very good match. We share a very good bonding and we trust each other. We are really happy that we won this match. Let's focus on quarters and like today we will give our best in quarters," Sreeja said.
"Now we just prepare, we learn whatever mistakes we have done, we learn from this and just prepare for the next match."
India will be up against either the USA or Germany in the quarter-finals.
Japan, Poland, France and Thailand are also on the same side of the draw.
Last week, both Manika and Sreeja scripted table tennis history by becoming the first Indian players to reach the round of 16 in the individual event at the Olympics. The two, however, could not progress beyond that stage, losing to higher-ranked opponents.
Sreeja had lost 0-4 to world number one Yingsha Sun of China in the pre-quarterfinals of the women's singles.
"I was a little upset only for one day, but then again I had to give my best for my country and for all of them who are supporting us. So yeah, I think I just gave my best today.
"I was not thinking of winning or losing. Of course, we wanted to win, but yeah, at that time I was just giving my best for every point I was playing with Bernie and Adina.
"So I am happy with my performance, how I played and of course how we all played and we started really well with the doubles and that gave me confidence," Sreeja concluded.
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CPI(M) rallies behind party member on his remarks against Rahul, Priyanka
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The ruling CPI(M) leaders on Monday rallied behind the party's politburo member A Vijayaraghavan in the raging political row over his controversial remarks on the Lok Sabha poll victories of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Wayanad.
During a recent party event in Wayanad, Vijayaraghavan reportedly claimed that Rahul secured victory in the high-range segment twice with the support of communal forces and that extremist elements were present at Priyanka Gandhi's campaign rallies.
Prominent Marxist party leaders on Monday said that Vijayaraghavan didn't say anything wrong or against the party's policy and they would oppose minority communalism and majority communalism alike.
They also reiterated the charges raised by Vijayaraghavan against the Congress and accused the grand-old party of entering into an unholy nexus with communal outfits for electoral gains.
The CPI(M) leadership came out in support of the politburo member a day after the Congress and their United Democratic Front (UDF) ally, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), alleged that Vijayaraghavan was attempting to provoke majority communalism in society.
When his reaction was sought by the media, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said what Vijayaraghavan had said was accurate and alleged that communal outfits like SDPI and Jamaat-e-islami were acting like front partners of the UDF.
He charged that their nexus was evident during the recent Palakkad Assembly bypoll.
The criticism against the Jamaat-e-islami was not against the Muslim community and the opposition against the RSS was not against the Hindus, he said, adding that the CPI(M) would not show any compromise in opposing both the minority and majority communalism.
Strongly supporting Vijayaraghavan, senior CPI(M) leader and ruling LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the leader had criticised the stand of the Congress party, which forges a nexus with communal forces during elections.
"Vijayaraghavan has not taken any communal stand. His remarks were also not meant to promote communalism. He has taken a stand that can safeguard society from communal forces," he said.
Senior leader and former minister P K Sreemathi also said Vijayaraghavan had not said anything other than the Marxist party's policy and stand.
Pointing out that communal and extremist forces are gaining strength in the state, she said they cannot be allowed to flourish in Kerala.
"Whoever it is... whether it is Hindu communalism or Muslim extremism, the CPI(M) will take a strong stand against it," she said.
She also accused the Congress of forging ties with communal forces during elections.
On Sunday, Congress leaders accused Vijayaraghavan of making comments against Rahul and Priyanka to "please" the Sangh Parivar, while the IUML alleged that he was attempting to provoke majority communalism in society.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal strongly criticised Vijayaraghavan, accusing him of using "communal" language that even the Sangh Parivar might hesitate to employ against Rahul. Venugopal also questioned whether the CPI(M) shared the same opinion.
Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan, echoed similar sentiments, charging the CPI(M) with pushing the same communal agenda propagated by the Sangh Parivar.
Harshly criticising Vijayaraghavan, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran accused the ruling CPI(M) of "surrendering to extreme communalism and providing support to the RSS in the state".
