Manika Batra, India’s star paddler, made history by becoming the country’s first female paddler to win a medal. Batra won bronze in Thailand, defeating the three-time Asian champion Hina Hayata by 4-2 in the final.
Batra won a bronze medal for India after defeating the world number six by 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 11-2. With this achievement, she also became the first Indian to defeat two top-10 players in the same competition. In the first round, Batra stunned China’s world number seven, Chen Xingtong.
On November 17, Batra continued her dream run by defeating World No.7 Chen Xingtong in the pre-quarterfinals. Manika won the match by 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 8-11, and 11-9. It was also her third career victory over a Chinese opponent. Manika, 27, vowed to keep working hard and carry the momentum forward after the massive upset. However, the 27-year-old was defeated by Japan’s Mima Ito in the semi-final stage, losing 2-4 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 7-11.
Only Indian Woman to have Qualified
Batra, who is ranked 44th in the world, is also the only Indian woman to have qualified for the tournament’s semi-finals. She also became the second Indian, after Chetan Baboor, to reach the final four of the championship.
Despite losing in the semi-finals, Batra finished as the highest-placed Indian in the competition’s 39-year history. Achanta Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan finished sixth and seventh in the 2015 and 2019 editions, respectively.
The current Asian Cup is being held at Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 17 to November 19.
