Paris Olympics 2024 Table Tennis: Manika Batra creates history with a dominating Round of 32 win over Indian-origin Prithika Pavade
Manika Batra's dream journey at the Paris Olympics 2024 continues as she achieved a historic victory, becoming the first Indian paddler to reach the Women's Singles Round of 16. This significant milestone in Indian table tennis was marked as Batra's remarkable performance saw her defeat Prithika Pavade of France in a commanding straight-games.
Competing in her third Olympics, Manika Batra has achieved a feat that no other Indian individual paddler has managed in the previous nine editions of the Games since table tennis was introduced in Seoul in 1988.
Batra, ranked World No. 28, faced the challenge of taking on World No. 18 Prithika Pavade. Notably, Pavade is of Indian origin but represents the host nation, France.
Despite Pavade's higher ranking and the pressure of competing against a local favorite, Batra didn’t let that bother her and displayed sheer dominance throughout the match. She convincingly won four straight games with scores of 11-9, 11-6, 11-9, and 11-7 without shedding a tear.
It was her experience that came into play as she held her nerves and kept putting pressure on Pavade, who looked frustrated.
What is the road ahead for Manika Batra?
With this victory, Manika Batra is now just three steps away from securing India's first-ever Olympic medal in table tennis. While the road ahead remains challenging, her current form and experience suggest she is well-prepared for the battles to come.
Batra's next opponent will be the winner of the Round of 32 match between Japan's Miu Hirano and Hong Kong's Zhu Chengzhu. Batra should remain focused on maintaining her high level of play and making the most of this historic opportunity.
The Olympic medal might look near, but at this stage, one off-day and all the efforts go down the drain, as we saw with Indian archery teams and Arjun Babuta earlier in the day.