The hearts of countless Indians swelled with pride as Manika Batra made history on 29 July, 2024, by becoming the first Indian table tennis player to reach the round of 16 in the Olympic Games singles competition.
Her victory came after a 4-0 thrashing of Prithika Pavade of France. What adds to the thrill is that Manika is currently ranked 28th in the world, 10 places lower than Pavade. She secured her victory with game scores of 11-9, 11-6, 11-9, and 11-7 against her French opponent of Indian origin.
After securing the title of the first Indian table tennis player to reach Olympics pre-quarterfinals, Manika reflected through a post on Instagram, “Reaching the pre-quarterfinals of the Women’s Singles in Olympics has been a milestone, but I always want more. As long as I have a dream, an aim, I will keep doing my best.”
The 29-year-old hails from Delhi and is the youngest of three siblings. At the young age of four, she was introduced to the sport by her sister, Aanchal, and brother Sahil, both of whom also played table tennis. It became clear that she was destined for greatness when she won a state-level under-8 tournament, prompting her to train under coach Sandeep........