Manika Batra Aims for Olympic Glory in Paris 2024
When Manika Batra won the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold in Gold Coast, Australia, she became a leading figure in Indian women’s table tennis. Now, the 29-year-old believes that India has a shot at winning a table tennis medal at the Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
Batra played a key role in the Indian women’s team qualifying for the Paris Olympics, a first for Indian table tennis. She also reached the quarter-finals of the WTT Saudi Smash in May by beating World No. 2 Wang Manyu of China and World No. 14 Nina Mittelham of Germany.
“India qualified for the first time, this is a huge achievement… I am really happy with how we are working together (at the camp). I think we have a shot at the medal and we should give our best,” Batra said during an interview.
Speaking about the growth of women’s table tennis in India, World No. 28 Batra credited Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) and the exposure it has provided young Indian players by allowing them to practice and play matches with foreign stars. “UTT really helped us because we get to practice with foreign players, play matches [against them]. We get good match practice,” Batra said.
Preparing for the Paris Olympics along with her teammates, Batra says she has learned from her Tokyo Olympics experience and would be focusing on one match at a time despite setting a target of getting into the medal rounds. “I have learned many things from the last Olympics, and I am not going to make those mistakes again. My mindset has changed since then, I am calmer and have more confidence in myself. I have been working on my stamina and my agility, and my ultimate aim is to challenge for a medal,” Batra said.
India will compete in the individual as well as team events of table tennis at the Paris 2024, and after the Olympics, star Indian paddlers, including Batra, Achanta Sharath Kamal, Sreeja Akula, and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, will be joined by the world’s top players such as World No. 10 Bernadette Szocs and Nigerian legend Quadri Aruna in the UTT 2024, scheduled to take place in Chennai from August 22 to September 7.
Doubts Revealed
Manika Batra -: Manika Batra is a famous Indian table tennis player. She is known for her skills and has won many medals for India.
Olympic Glory -: Olympic Glory means winning a medal or achieving great success at the Olympic Games, which is a big sports event held every four years.
Paris 2024 -: Paris 2024 refers to the Olympic Games that will be held in Paris, France, in the year 2024.
Table Tennis -: Table Tennis is a sport where players hit a small ball back and forth across a table using small rackets. It is also called ping pong.
Tokyo Olympics -: The Tokyo Olympics were the Olympic Games held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021. They were originally planned for 2020 but got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) -: Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) is a professional table tennis league in India. It helps Indian players get better by playing against strong opponents.
Chennai -: Chennai is a big city in the southern part of India. It is known for its culture, education, and sports events.
Paddlers -: Paddlers is another name for table tennis players. It comes from the word ‘paddle,’ which is what the racket is sometimes called.
