India beat Singapore 3-1 to claim second straight men's team table tennis gold at Commonwealth Games

The Indian men's table tennis team led by veteran Sharath Kamal defeated Singapore 3-1 in the final of the men's team event at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 to clinch the elusive gold medal. Harmeet Desai defeated Clarence Chew in his singles match to bring the gold medal home for India once again. India had headed into the competition as the defending champions in the men's team event having secured gold in the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast four years back.

India won their second straight men's team gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after a dominant display against Singapore in the final on Tuesday. On a day when captain Sharath Kamal was not on top of his game, G Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai stepped up to deliver for India in the summit clash and won their singles and doubles matches respectively.

India got off to a flying start in the final as the doubles pair of Harmeet Desai and G Sathiyan thrashed the Singapore pair of Yong Quek and Yew Pang 3-0 in straight games before Sharath Kamal locked horns with Chew in the first singles match of the final. The captain had an off day as he suffered a 1-3 defeat with Singapore drawing the final level at 1-1.

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However, Desai and Sathiyan were in no mood to relent as they went on to win their respective singles matches emphatically to inspire India to their second successive gold. While Sathiyan got the better of Yew Pang 3-1 to put India ahead 2-1, Desai beat Chew, who defeated Sharath Kamal, in straight sets to seal a 3-1 win for India.

40-year-old Sharath Kamal has now led India to four medals in men's team event at the Commonwealth Games cementing his legacy as one of the greatest paddlers India has ever had. India have won three gold and a bronze medal in the men's team event at the Games.

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The men's team won a gold medal under his leadership in the 2006 Melbourne Games before clinching bronze at the 2010 Games in India. India have now won two gold medals straight in the last two editions in the men's team event. This is Sharath Kamal's 10th medal overall in the Commonwealth Games and his tally includes a staggering 5 gold medals.