Matter of pride to achieve so many firsts: Manika
NEW DELHI: Since 2018, India's star table tennis player Manika Batra's life has been in the fast lane. Crossing milestones has become almost a habit for the extremely talented 23-year-old Delhi girl. She has managed to carve an unprecedented niche for herself in Indian table tennis that has seen her and India achieve many firsts. And as Manika says, it is indeed "a matter of great pride".
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Four medals at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) last year, including the women's singles and team gold, made Manika India's most successful athlete at the Games. At the Asian Games later in the year, she became the first Indian woman to win an Asiad medal -- a mixed doubles bronze, partnering Achanta Sharath Kamal.
And 2019 couldn't have begun on a better note for Manika. She recently became the first Indian woman TT player to break into the top 50 of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings.
Placed 47th in the world now, Manika, a product of the Hansraj Model School Table Tennis Academy under the mentorship of renowned TT guru Sandeep Gupta, spoke exclusively to Timesofindia.com about her latest achievement and how the outlook towards TT in the country is changing.
How big is it for you personally to be where no other Indian woman has been before (top 50 of the world rankings)?
It is very important, especially when I am the first woman table tennis player from India to achieve this feat. I will say it's a result of my hard work, my coach, the support staff, the federation (Table Tennis Federation of India) and my family. I also want to thank the Sports Authority of India for their continuous support. From here on, I have to work extra hard to improve further as I want to see myself among the very best in the world.
You continue to scale new heights. Did you surprise yourself at any point?
I think it's (the result of) proper planning and also the hard work and dedication that has gone behind the scenes from my coach and the support staff. It is surely a memorable feat for me, and it's (climbing up in rankings) one of the many milestones that I want to conquer in the time to come. Of course, it's a matter of great pride for me and my family to be able to achieve so many firsts in Indian table tennis.
How important are rankings according to you as far as the mental approach to the game is concerned?
It does help, as it provides a validation for your good performances at the international level, and the confidence helps in improving your skill and
game.
Do you think things changed completely for Indian TT after the CWG and Asian Games success last year?
Yes. I believe those two were the pivotal moments for table tennis in India as it showed that even Indian players can go on to win against big countries and tough opponents.
Do you see a difference in how TT is viewed now in India's sporting landscape?
Yes. Now people recognise the players more and the game has grabbed a lot of eyeballs since the Commonwealth Games, Asiad and Ultimate Table Tennis (domestic franchise-based league). People now follow the sport and many youngsters are also taking the game seriously to play (it) professionally. I think the government and the federation are also to be credited for the kind of facilities and training they have been able to provide to the players over the past few years. I am confident that things will get better henceforth.