Manika Batra 2024 Olympics: Performance, Journey, Schedule in Paris – Know more about India's table tennis star

Indian table tennis player Manika Batra in action

Photo: Manika Batra on Instagram

Beads silverone of the true stars of Indian table tennis, is all set for her third consecutive participation in the Olympic Games with the upcoming Paris 2024The 29-year-old Batra becomes the second Indian paddler to participate in three Olympic Games.

Manika, who became the first Indian female table tennis player to reach the round of 32 in the singles event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, is one of India's brightest prospects at the Paris Olympics. She has an extra spring in her step for the Paris 2024 Olympics, having broken into the top 25 this year and reaching a career high of world ranking 24 after her victory at the Saudi Smash in May.

Although Batra lost in the quarterfinals of Saudi Smash to Japan's Hina Hayata, she was very impressed with her fighting spirit and composure during the tournament.

“I am very happy with the way I performed and fought for every ball in Saudi Smash. I really liked my fighting spirit, my composure and my confidence. This (Saudi) tournament will really motivate me ahead of the Olympics. But I want to do more,” Manika told SAI Media after the tournament in Saudi.

“I have to work on the mistakes and I will keep pushing myself harder. I have to do intensive sessions in the next month and a half and in Paris I want to perform better than in Saudi Arabia,” she added.

The Khel Ratna award winner also indicated that she will put her best foot forward at the Paris Olympics.

“I have participated in all the Olympics to win a medal for my country. This year it will be the same. I will work hard every second. I am giving my best this time and I don't want to come back with regrets. I want to give 100 percent for myself, my country and the people who cheer me on,” Manika said.

Manika (18th) and her compatriot Sreeja Akula (16th) are the highest-ranked Indian players at the table tennis tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which begins on July 27.

Manika Batra – Everything You Need to Know

Age, Family, History, Travel, Achievements

Manika Batra is 29 years old. She was born on 15 June 1995 and hails from Naraina Vihar in Delhi. Manika is a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, a two-time Olympian and winner of several other awards.

She shot to fame at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, when she won four medals, including two gold. Before that, the Indian had won three gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games and made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

Although table tennis was her first love, Manika started playing with her siblings at a young age. She turned down modeling offers in her teens to focus on the sport.

Delhi-born Manika qualified for her first Olympics at the age of 21. Although she was knocked out in the first round in Rio, it was a good learning curve for the Indian. In 2017, she rose to No. 104 in the ITTF rankings, making her the highest-ranked female table tennis player from India. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she won gold in the women's singles by beating Singapore's Yu Mengyu in the final.

The victory made Manika the first Indian female table tennis player to win an individual gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. She also led the Indian women's team to a gold medal after beating four-time gold medallist Singapore in the final.

Manika also added a mixed doubles bronze along with Sharath Kamal at the 2018 Asian Games. She won the ITTF's 'Breakthrough Star' award later that year and remains the only Indian table tennis player to receive this accolade.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Manika Batra defeated Tin-Tin Ho and pulled off a surprise win over the higher-ranked Margaryta Pesotska in the round of 16. She then lost to Sofia Polcanova in the round of 16, making her the first Indian woman to reach this stage.

After Tokyo 2020, Manika Batra made more history when she, along with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, became the first Indian to win a WTT event after winning the mixed doubles title at the 2021 WTT Contender Budapest. In 2022, she won silver in the mixed doubles at the WTT Contender Doha with G Sathiyan and won bronze in the women's doubles at the WTT Star Contender Doha with Archana Kamath.

Manika Batra failed to win a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 Asian Games, but has already established herself in the top 100 in the women's singles rankings in recent years. She is a regular participant in some of the biggest events on the world table tennis calendar and reached a career high of 24 in the world rankings earlier this year.

Schedule in Paris 2024

Table tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be held from 27 July to 10 August. All five competitions (men's singles, women's singles, mixed doubles, men's team and women's team) will be played at the South Paris Arena.