India hammer Pakistan 3-0, storm into Asian Games men's table tennis prequarters

India bounced back from their defeat to Iran with a commanding 3-0 win over Pakistan to finish second in Group F. The Indian men advanced to the pre-quarterfinals where they will lock horns with South Korea.India beat Pakistan 3-0 in the Asian Games men's table tennis match. Courtesy: Harmeet Desai InstagramIndia bounced back from their 0-3 defeat to Iran by hammering Pakistan 3-0 in the men’s team event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday. The win helped India finish second in Group F and secure a place in the pre-quarterfinals, where they will face South Korea on Tuesday.India had opened their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Indonesia before running into an unbeaten Iran side. They responded against Pakistan with a dominant display, winning all three matches in straight games. Iran finished top of Group F with six points, while India ended second with five points from three matches. Indonesia finished third and Pakistan fourth.Harmeet Desai set the tone for India in the opening match, defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Khan 11-4, 11-3, 11-5. Desai controlled the contest from the beginning, giving India an early advantage without dropping a game.G Sathiyan then strengthened India’s position with another straight-games victory. The Indian captain defeated Abbas Khan 11-1, 11-8, 11-9 to put his side one win away from sealing the tie. Payas Jain completed the clean sweep in the third match, beating the other Muhammad Khan 11-2, 11-5, 11-7. India wrapped up the contest without losing a single game, responding strongly after their setback against Iran.INDIA WOMEN ALSO BEAT PAKISTAN, BOTH TEAMS SHAKE HANDSIndia's women's team also defeated Pakistan 3-0 on Monday, topping Group F with three wins from three matches. Sutirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das and Sreeja Akula all won their respective singles matches in straight games. Sutirtha beat Aleena Khan 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 before 17-year-old Syndrela defeated Kalsoom Khan 11-6, 11-7, 11-5. Sreeja then sealed the tie with an 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 win over Fatima Khan.Both India-Pakistan ties ended with players from the two teams shaking hands at the net. The moments provided a sporting finish to two one-sided contests.For the men's team, the victory over Pakistan secured qualification for the knockout stage after two wins in three group matches. The result also gave India a chance to move forward after their disappointing outing against Iran.The knockout clash will determine which team progresses to the quarterfinals as India continue their medal campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.- EndsPublished On: Sep 21, 2026 20:19 IST