Paris, July 28: The Indian women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto began their Paris Olympics campaign with a loss in straight games to South Koreans Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong in their Group C fixture here. The Indian pair, which put up an inspired show in 2023 to qualify for the Games, went down 18-21 10-21 in a 44-minute match on Saturday. Balraj Panwar Qualifies for Quarterfinals of Men’s Sculls in Paris Olympics 2024, Secures Second Position in Repechage Round.

The Indians made a bright start as Ponnappa and Crasto managed to stretch the Koreans in the opening game but struggled to maintain rhythm in the second, which was a one-sided affair. The Indian pair will next meet the fourth seeds Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama of Japan on Monday.

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