New Delhi: When Manika Batra won the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold in Gold Coast, Australia, she became the flag-bearer of sorts for Indian women’s table tennis. In the last six years, many more Indian women paddlers have left a mark on the world stage, and the 29-year-old believes that India has a shot at winning an elusive table tennis medal at the Paris Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
Batra played an instrumental 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 and former world champion 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 with Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT).
"The growth of women's table tennis in India is really inspiring. I see many of my fellow players playing really well. Everyone in the team is motivated and training very hard. Women’s table tennis in India will only grow further for sure,” she added.
Speaking about the growth of women’s table tennis in India, World No. 28 Batra credited UTT and the exposure it has provided young Indian players by allowing them to rub shoulders with foreign stars.
"UTT really helped us because we get to practice with foreign players, and 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.
"But, I will go slowly. I will try to be in that zone and give my best. I will go round by round and not think of a medal too early. I will give my best for my country,” Batra, who represents PBG Bengaluru Smashers in UTT, 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.
