One year ago today, the Paris 2024 Olympic table tennis tournament shifted into a new gear as the team events began with a bang. The day belonged to India’s women’s team, who pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in Olympic table tennis history by defeating fourth-seeded Romania 3-2 in their maiden Olympic appearance. But across South Paris Arena 4, Day 10 delivered drama, history, and heartbreak in equal measure.
India’s Historic Breakthrough
Making their Olympic debut, India’s women’s team – Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Girish Kamath – faced the daunting task of taking on reigning European Games champions Romania. What followed was a masterclass in Olympic competition, proving that rankings mean nothing when dreams are on the line.
Archana Girish Kamath and Sreeja Akula set the tone with a dominant 3-0 victory in the opening doubles match. Manika Batra then delivered a statement performance, defeating world-class Bernadette Szocs 3-0 to give India a commanding 2-0 lead.
Romania, as expected from seasoned campaigners, foug
ht back hard. Elizabeta Samara defeated Sreeja Akula 3-2, and Szocs responded with a 3-1 victory over Kamath to level the match at 2-2, setting up a dramatic decider.
Step forward Manika Batra. In the pressure-cooker atmosphere of an Olympic decider, the Indian star held her nerve to defeat Adina Diaconu 3-0, sealing one of the most remarkable victories in Indian Olympic table tennis history.
“We are really happy, because this was the first time the Indian team qualified for the Olympics,” Batra reflected afterwards. “And we beat (one of) the best teams, the Romanians. I think we all gave our best. I’m really proud of myself and my team, how we played and supported each other.”
Sweden’s Stunning Debut
In another major upset, Sweden’s women’s team – competing in their first-ever Olympic team event – eliminated defending bronze medallists Hong Kong, China 3-2. Linda Bergström proved to be the hero, securing the decisive victory in a thrilling encounter that announced Sweden as a genuine medal contender.
Thailand Silences Home Crowd
Perhaps the day’s most silencing result saw Thailand’s women defeat host nation France, silencing the passionate home crowd at South Paris Arena 4. Making their Olympic team event debut, the Thai team showcased their rapidly improving standards with a gutsy 3-2 victory over the World Championships bronze medallists.
While the women’s team suffered heartbreak, France’s men got their campaign off to the perfect start with a 3-0 victory over Slovenia. Felix Lebrun, fresh from his historic singles bronze medal, fought hard to defeat Darko Jorgic 3-2, with the home crowd in full voice throughout.
Bruna Alexandre Makes History
Brazil’s campaign ended in defeat to Korea Republic, but the day belonged to Bruna Alexandre, who made history by becoming the first Brazilian to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics. Her groundbreaking achievement transcended the result, marking a pivotal moment for Paralympic sport representation at the Olympics.
Boll’s Final Campaign Begins
This time last year, Germany’s legendary Timo Boll officially began his final Olympic campaign with a victory over Canada. The icon of European table tennis, competing in his sixth and final Olympics, sealed Germany’s 3-0 victory with a commanding 3-0 win over Eugene Wang, showing that class remains permanent.
Looking back one year later, 5 August 2024 stands as the day when the team events announced themselves in spectacular fashion. India’s women proved that Olympic debuts can produce miracles, Sweden showed that first appearances can yield giant-killing performances, and Thailand demonstrated that emerging nations can challenge the established order.
Sometimes Olympic competition reminds us why sport matters – when underdogs become heroes, when dreams overcome rankings, and when history is made one match at a time. Day 10 was full of those magical moments.
