Anil Dias

The 4-0 (12-10, 12-10, 11-8, 11-3) scoreline may show it was a routine win for the World No. 1, but it was anything but that. Sreeja was right there, going paddle-to-paddle with the best in the world.

The Chinese stuck to his strengths, a wide serve and a thunderclap forehand.

If they manage to win their quarterfinal, they will most likely take on Japan in the semifinals.

Veteran manages to take a game from Olympic champion Fan Zhendong in his last Olympic match, but team goes down 0-3 in Round of 16.

Kaufmann wasn’t even supposed to be in Germany’s team for the Games. She was there only because of the injury of Ying Han. In the quarterfinal, she beat both Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula.

National coach Massimo Costantini says in women's game focus remains on variation and ball placement and pimple rubbers help; Coaches of Manika and Sreeja say upping fitness level key in high-intensity matches.

'We need to create a stronger system to make sport a career,' says national TT coach Massimo Costantini

The 24-year-old Archana had shocked the TT world by quitting the sport at a time when she was doing well and fast improving.

A path-breaking paddler in football-crazy Italy, the 66-year-old is designing bespoke tactics for different Indian paddlers, working alongside Indian coaches and looking to broaden their pimple-paddle advantage.

While the search for the next Sunil Chhetri remains an ever-pertinent question, what else to look forward in ISL's 11th season?