Historic Win: Manika Batra Becomes First Indian Paddler to Reach Pre-Quarterfinals at Paris Olympics

Manika Batra Advances to Round of 16 at Paris 2024 Olympics

Paris – In a remarkable performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, India’s Manika Batra secured a 4-0 victory over France’s Prithika Pavade in the women’s table tennis singles round of 32, making history as the first Indian paddler to advance to the round of 16.

Manika Batra, currently ranked 28th in the world, delivered an exceptional game against world No. 18 Prithika Pavade at the South Paris Arena 4. The final scores of 11-9, 11-6, 11-9, and 11-7 highlight Batra’s dominance and strategic prowess on the table.

“It was the best match, playing against a French player in France and winning was amazing,” Manika Batra expressed with joy. “I’m really happy that I won against Prithika because she has a higher rank than me… I was well prepared to play with her.“

The first game was a close contest, with both players locked at 8-8 before Batra seized the lead. She continued to build on her momentum, comfortably winning the second game and then racing to a 10-4 lead in the third. Although Pavade, 19, managed to save five game points, Batra’s lethal backhands eventually secured her a 3-0 lead. She closed out the match without any further hitch.

Manika Batra will next face either Hong Kong China’s Zhu Chengzhu or the eighth-seeded Japanese player Miu Hirano in the pre-quarterfinals.

Earlier in the competition, Batra defeated world No. 103 Anna Hursey of Great Britain 4-1 to progress to the round of 32. Her impressive performance continues to raise hopes for India’s success in table tennis at the Olympics.

In another exciting development, Olympic debutant Sreeja Akula will aim to join her compatriot in the round of 16 on Wednesday. Akula, ranked 25th, triumphed over Sweden’s world No. 58 Christina Kallberg with a 4-0 victory in the round of 64 and is set to play against Zeng Jian of Singapore in the round of 32 on Monday.

Meanwhile, India’s campaign in the men’s singles ended after Sharath Kamal and Harmeet Desai’s exit in the round of 16 on Sunday.

India will also be competing in the team events at Paris 2024. The Indian men’s team, featuring Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, and Manav Thakkar, faces a formidable challenge against four-time champions, the People’s Republic of China, in the first round. The women’s team, comprising Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath, has been drawn to play Romania in their opening match.

As the Paris 2024 Olympics progress, all eyes will be on Manika Batra and the Indian table tennis contingent, with hopes high for further historic achievements.