CWG: Harmeet-Pooja ousted; other Indians advance in TT mixed doubles (Lead)

Gold Coast (Australia) April 11 (IANS) India s campaign in table tennis mixed doubles competition at the 21st Commonwealth Games got off to a rousing start with three out of four pairs advancing to the round of 16 while Harmeet Desai and Pooja Sahasrabudhe were ousted here on Wednesday.

India s veteran combo of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Mouma Das proceeded to the round of 16 after beating the Sri Lankan duo of Rohan Sirisena and Ishara Madurangi 3-1 (11-6 4-11 11-9 11-5) at the Oxenford Studios here.

Sharath and Mouma will on Thursday face England duo of David McBeath and Kelly Sibley for a place in the quarter-finals.

Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran also advanced to the last 16 with a fighting 3-0 (11-7 11-8 13-11) win over Chee Feng Leong and Ying Ho.

Manika and Sathiyan will next face Canadian duo of Marko Medjugorac and Alicia Cote for a place in the quarters.

Madhurika Patkar and Sanil Shankar Shetty then joined forces to beat Sri Lankan pair of Buwaneka Jayasingha Mudiyanselage and Erandi Warusawithana 3-0 (11-5 11-8 11-5) in straight games.

In the round of 16 Madhurika and Sanil will be up against Mauritius pair of Rhikesh Taucoory and Elodie Ho Wan Kau on Thursday.

However it was curtains for the other mixed doubles pair of Harmeet Desai and Pooja Sahasrabudhe who lost their round of 32 tie 1-3 (6-11 6-11 11-3 9-11) to Malaysia s Javen Choong and Karen Lyne.

--IANS
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