It’s not finished for me: Manika Batra vows to return stronger
It’s not finished for me: Manika Batra vows to return stronger: Manika Batra’s career plummeted after the Birmingham CWG fiasco. But the star Indian paddler has vowed to make a comeback at the National Games before traveling to this month’s World Championships.
One of India’s biggest names in 2018, Batra won four medals, including women’s singles and team gold in the CWG.
Later that same year, she won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event at the Asian Games. However, she appeared discombobulated and came home empty-handed from the Birmingham Games last month.
During a virtual interaction with media, Batra said, “Of course, I was disappointed and unhappy when I lost my matches at CWG, but I constantly tell myself this is not the end of the world.” Batra is in town for the National Games.
Statements
It was a fantastic year for me in 2018. Before the CWG, I played better than I ever had before.
“I played pretty well in the World Tours, beat good players,” the top-ranked Indian player remarked.
Every player has their ups and downs in life, but I believe I gave it my all at CWG. She continued, “Just because I didn’t win a medal in the CWG doesn’t mean my career is over.” Batra claims that she has been trying very hard to fix her past faults.
I need to keep pushing forward and picking myself up. As my instructor has been my sparring partner, I’ve put in a lot of time working on my flaws.
The Asian Games are next year, and we have a number of other major tournaments coming up.
The paddlers will be the first athletes on the field at the PDDU Indoor Stadium a week before the opening ceremony of the National Games, as they will be the first to leave for the World Championships in Chengdu on September 30.
The 27-year-old was unable to retain her women’s singles title at the Birmingham CWG when she was defeated in the quarterfinals in straight games by Singapore’s Jian Zeng, who was ranked lower than her.
She also lost in the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles and mixed doubles competitions. The Indian women’s team, captained by Batra, also failed to advance past the round of eight in their bid to defend their championship.
Declarations
After returning to India, I immediately began my training.
The phrase “abhi khatm ho gaya” (it’s over now) is not one you should be thinking about, instead, you should immediately begin training and correct your errors. After the disaster at the CWG, I feel both mentally and physically ready to compete.
My mental toughness has been a major area of practise as of late, and that’s crucial for competitions of this magnitude.
The Delhi paddler continued, “I will go there and give my 100 percent.” The Indian TT team leaves for the World Championships on September 25, and Batra acknowledged that competing in consecutive international competitions will be demanding.
Remarks
There will be little rest between our tournaments, but I’m up for the challenge.
When asked if she planned on switching from the lengthy pips made of rubber she now uses, Batraa vowed, “I am never going to change my pimples” (the bump on the rubber).
This is something that, with time, grows on you, and it is something that I really enjoy. She went on to say that the National Games would be challenging for them because of all the up-and-coming talent.
“I put equal weight on competitions at the national, continental, Asian, and global levels.
No matter what, I always give it my all. Please let me enjoy each and every game. In my opinion, that is crucial to success. Manika said, “I’m excited because we have so many talented young people on the horizon.”
Read More: Table Tennis Player Manika Batra World Ranking, Height, Information Stats, Biography