"We have a shot at the medal" - Manika Batra confident on India's chances for a podium finish at the Paris Olympics 2024
With the Paris Olympics 2024 set to start in a few days, India’s paddler Manika Batra said that the table tennis contingent has a chance of winning a medal at the tournament.
Batra, who is a former gold medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, led the charge as the Indian women’s table tennis team qualified for the Olympics for the first time in history.
Speaking about that achievement in an interview with Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), Batra said:
“India qualified for the first time, this is a huge achievement… I am really happy with how we are working together [at the camp]. I think we have a shot at the medal and we should give our best.”
The table tennis contingent touched down in Paris on Sunday and was received by India’s Chef-de-Mission Gagan Narang on the road to the Olympic Village.
Batra, a star member of the contingent, expressed her elation at the growth of women’s table tennis in the country and her hopes for the future of the sport. She said:
“The growth of women’s table tennis in India is really inspiring. I see many of my fellow players playing really well. Everyone in the team is motivated and training very hard. Women’s table tennis in India will only grow further for sure,” she said in the interview.
"My ultimate aim is to challenge for a medal": Manika Batra underlines Paris Olympics 2024 objective
In an aforementioned interview, Manika Batra aspired to use her Tokyo Olympics experience, where she made history by becoming the first Indian paddler to reach the third round of any Olympic event.
Now, she aims to use that experience to win her first Olympic medal in Paris.
“I have learned many things from the last Olympics, and I am not going to make those mistakes again. My mindset has changed since then, I am calmer and have more confidence in myself. I have been working on my stamina and my agility, and my ultimate aim is to challenge for a medal,” Manika Batra said.
“But, I will go slowly. I will try to be in that zone and give my best. I will go round by round and not think of a medal too early. I will give my best for my country," she added.
India has sent an eight-person table tennis contingent to the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024, which is set to start on July 26.