India has secured their second medal in the Paris Olympics 2024. The team of Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh won third place in the mixed doubles 10m Air Pistol event. The nation is expecting more medals than the Tokyo Olympics. Indian star table tennis player Manika Batra has created a new history by reaching the pre-quarterfinals of the competition in the Paris Olympics.
Manika has become the first Indian female table tennis player to achieve such a feat. She defeated Prithika Pavde of France in four straight games to book her place in the last 16 of the women’s singles. Manika Batra beat Prithika Pavde 11-9, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7.
Manika Batra hopes for a medal in the Olympics
The 18th-seeded and world number 28 at the 2018 Commonwealth Champions Tournament, earlier defeated world number 103 Anna Hursey of Great Britain 11-8, 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5 at the Paris Olympics. She struggled to adjust to the left-hander in the first game and it was a tight game. Manika won the last three points 11-9.
The match was very close at the start of the second game as well, but after a 6-6 tie, Manika gave Prithika no chance and won 11-6. The Indian maintained the momentum in the second game and took a five-point lead in the third game, but Prithika reeled off four straight points to level the score at 9-10. Under pressure, Prithika played the ball to the net and Manika won the game 11-9.
