Who is Manav Thakkar? All you need to know about the Indian paddler competing at the Paris Olympics 2024

India’s table tennis sensation, Manav Thakkar, had rose to fame by becoming the first Indian World No. 1 at the U-18 and U-21 level. At 24-years-old now , Manav is gearing to make his Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics. From being guided by TT legend Sharath Kamal to now being part of the same team, Manav is rising fast.

Born in Rajkot, Gujarat, Manav was only 12 when he moved to Ajmer after getting a scholarship in 2012. He spent the next seven years in Ajmer. Accepting the challenge and living by himself has given the paddler much confidence, which is visible in his performances.

Manav Thakkar is a part of a six-member Indian table tennis contingent that will be competing at the Summer Olympics in Paris. The TT team will be competing to win India its first-ever medal in the sport at the quadrennial event.

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Manav Thakkar’s numerous achievements in a young career so far

In a young career, Manav Thakkar has already achieved plenty on the global stage. One of his brightest wins is the team bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. He also won a team’s bronze at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in 2021.

Manav was ranked No.2 in India by the end of 2023 after winning three national ranking tournaments. He also recorded a special 3-1 win against World No.33 Kao Cheng-Jui of Taiwan at the Asian Table Tennis Championship in South Korea.

The rising star managed to defeat his mentor Sharath Kamal at the Doha WTT Feeder and in the Trivandrum nationals in the same year.

He went on to compete in the semi-final of the U.S WTT Feeder and final of the WTT Feeder in Beirut. In his next assignment, Manav will be competing for India in the men’s team event in Paris, alongside Kamal and Harmeet Desai. The table tennis events start on July 27 with the men’s and women’s round of 64.