Manika Batra: the player who made history for India
Manika Batra is an Indian table tennis player born in Delhi in 1995. She won four medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, including singles gold, took bronze in mixed doubles at the 2018 Asian Games and at the 2022 Asian Cup and, at Paris 2024, became the first Indian to reach the Olympic singles round of 16.
In this article
Manika Batra is India's best-known female table tennis player and one of the people behind the sport's growth in the country. In 2018 she won four medals at the Commonwealth Games and became a national star. Since then she has kept opening doors no Indian woman had opened before, at the Olympics and at Asian events.
This page sums up Manika Batra's career, her main results and her playing style, which features a weapon that is rare among elite players.
Who is Manika Batra
Manika Batra was born on June 15, 1995, in Delhi, India. She started playing as a child and stood out in India's junior ranks. She plays with the shakehand grip.
Her career-best world singles ranking was 24th, in May 2024. In women's doubles she reached No. 4 in the world in 2022, with Archana Kamath.
Gold Coast 2018: four medals
Her big breakthrough came at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. Manika won four medals:
| Event | Medal |
|---|---|
| Women's singles | Gold |
| Women's team | Gold |
| Women's doubles | Silver |
| Mixed doubles | Bronze |
India beat Singapore, a Commonwealth powerhouse, in the team final, and her singles gold made her the first Indian woman to win the Commonwealth Games singles title. On the way she beat world No. 4 Feng Tianwei in the semifinal.
Asian Games and Asian Cup
A few months later, at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Manika won mixed doubles bronze with Sharath Kamal. They were the first Indian pair to win a mixed doubles table tennis medal at the Games. In the semifinal they lost to China's Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.
At the 2022 Asian Cup in Bangkok she won singles bronze, the first medal for an Indian woman at the event.
For her work in the sport she received the Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting award, in 2020.
Three Olympics
Manika has played three Olympic Games in a row, with better results each time:
- Rio 2016: her debut, losing in the first round of singles.
- Tokyo 2020: reached the third round of singles, a first for an Indian woman.
- Paris 2024: beat France's Prithika Pavade to reach the singles round of 16, the first time any Indian player had gone that far in Olympic singles. She lost to Japan's Miu Hirano. In the team event she helped India beat Romania and reach the quarterfinals, where they lost to Germany.
The whole Olympic tournament is covered in table tennis at Paris 2024.
Playing style: long pips
The most striking thing about Manika's game is her long pips rubber, a type of rubber used by very few elite players. Long pimples send the ball back with reversed or unexpected spin, which confuses opponents who are not used to it. She combines it with attacking shots and changes of pace, which makes her game hard to predict.
If you need to face this kind of rubber, there are tips in how to play against long pips.
Why Manika Batra matters
Manika helped put table tennis on India's sports map, in a country where cricket takes most of the attention. Her 2018 medals and Olympic runs inspired a new generation of Indian players. To meet other great female players, read the history of women's table tennis.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Manika Batra?
An Indian table tennis player born in Delhi in 1995. She won four medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, including singles gold, and has played three Olympics.
Does Manika Batra use long pips?
Yes. She is known for using long pimpled rubber, which returns the ball with spin that is hard to read, combined with an attacking game.
What is Manika Batra's best Olympic result?
The singles round of 16 at Paris 2024, the first time an Indian player reached that stage in Olympic singles.
Did Manika Batra play with Sharath Kamal?
Yes. They won mixed doubles bronze together at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.