Table Tennis is one of those sports where India still lacks great accomplishments. Only a few Indian Table Tennis players have managed to assert their dominance at the global level, and Manika Batra stands at the top of that list. She is the highest-ever ranked female player for India in Table Tennis. Manika continues to scale new heights in the world of Table Tennis with her hard work that has honed her skills over the years. Her never say give up attitude makes her a fierce competitor for anyone in the field of Table Tennis. Manika Batra’s journey has not been a smooth ride till now. She has struggled quite hard to stand at the pinnacle of Table Tennis in India. Here we have covered some things that you surely need to know about the star for India in Table Tennis.
6 fascinating facts about Manika Batra!
1. She was born and raised in Delhi
Manika Batra was born on 15th June 1996 in Delhi, India. She belongs to a middle-class family and is the youngest of three children. Her family house is in the Naraina Vihar of Delhi. Manika’s elder brother and sister both played Table Tennis which inspired Manika to take up the sport at the young age of 4.
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2. Manika Batra turned down many modelling offers during her college days
Manika Batra learned how to keep up with the trends during her college days. She was offered various modelling gigs, but her ambition to do big for India in Table Tennis urged her to turn down all the modelling offers. Manika also declined a scholarship to train for Table Tennis at Peter Karrlson Academy in Sweden when she was 16.
3. She won three medals at the 2015 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship
The turning point in Manika Batra came in 2015 when she won three medals for her country in the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship. She brought home a silver medal with Ankita Das and Mouma Das in the women’s team event, a silver medal with Ankita Das in the women’s double event and a bronze medal in the women’s single event.
4. Manika Batra walked away with three gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games
Manika Batra was absolutely phenomenal in the 2016 South Asian Games. She was unstoppable with her golden run in the tournament and won three gold medals. Manika won the women’s doubles event, mixed doubles event and women’s team event to complete the trifecta of gold at the South Asian Games. She came close to winning a fourth gold medal in the singles competition but was defeated by Mouma Das in the finals and settled with a silver medal.
5. Batra helped India defeat the Undefeated Singapore Women’s Team
Singapore Women’s Team was undefeated in the Commonwealth Games since the induction of Table Tennis in the event in 2002. However, the winning streak of Singapore Women came to an end in 2018 when Manika Batra led India Women’s Team to defeat Singapore in the finals to win the gold medal. India won the match by 3-1, and Batra defeated the world number 4 in the win.
6. Manika Batra has achieved the highest-ever ranking for an Indian in Table Tennis
Manika Batra reached the world number 4 ranking with Archana Girish Kamath in women’s doubles on 5th April 2022 to create history by becoming the highest-ranked Indian tennis player in all categories, including men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.