Manika Batra
Manika Batra
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Contents |
Career
2024: First Indian Woman Paddler In World Top-25
May 15, 2024: The Times of India
New Delhi : Manika Batra rose to a career-best singles ranking of 24 following her success in the Saudi Smash, becoming the first Indian woman player to break into the top-25 in world rankings.
The 28-year-old Khel Ratna awardee, who was in the 39th spot before the tournament, jumped 15 spots following her run in Jeddah, where she reached the quarterfinals. It was also the first time an Indian woman player advanced that deep in the tournament.
Batra’s rise through the draw earned her 350 points, and she said the surge in her ranking would work as a confidence booster ahead of the Paris Olympics. “To break into the top 25 and achieve my career-best ranking just months before the Olympic Games is definitely a very potent boost to my preparations.
“As I look ahead to Paris 2024, I’m motivated more than ever to continue this performance and move upwards in the ranking to make my country proud. Improvement is a continuous process and I am committed to it,” she said.
Earlier, in an Instagram post, Batra, who had made history by becoming the first Indian table tennis player to reach the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Hangzhou Asiad, last year, thanked her coach Aman Balgu and sparring partner Kirill Barabanov of Belarus for her success. “Thank you, everyone, for your blessings and support. Especially my coach @amanbalgu, my sparring partner @kirill_barabanov and my family for the constant support. Onward and upward towards Paris 2024,” she wrote.
Batra, the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in individual and team categories, had shocked multiple-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist China’s Wang Manyu (2nd seed) on her way to the last eight in the Saudi Smash. PTI
2018
Breakthrough Table Tennis Star
Manika wins ‘Breakthrough Star’ award, December 13, 2018: The Times of India
India’s Manika Batra became the first Indian Table Tennis player to be decorated with the ‘Breakthrough Table Tennis Star’ award at the prestigious International Table Tennis Federation Star Awards in Incheon. “I am really honoured and happy to have received the award. I feel, 2018 has been the best year of my career so far and I am happy for what I have achieved,” Manika said at the ceremony.
Manika started the year on a high at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, guiding India to it’s first-ever gold medal in the Women’s Team category as they defeated four-time gold medallists and defending champions Singapore 3-1. She bagged another gold in the women’s singles category, defeating former World No. 4 Feng Tianwei.