"I want to be in the top 20" - Manika Batra strives to improve ranking further

Ace Indian paddler Manika Batra added another feather to her cap, achieving a career-high ranking of 31 in women's singles, awarded by World Table Tennis (WTT).

Also known as the 'Golden Girl' of Indian Table Tennis, Manika has had a mixed bag of results in the recent past. She won two matches at the 2023 Asian Games before going down to China's Yidi Wang.

In the previous two WTT Contenders hosted by Antayla and Frankfurt, the 28-year-old won her opening matches in women's singles before eventually going down in the next.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Manika Batra opened up on her achievement, thanking everyone involved in her journey. However, she has set a higher goal of achieving an even better ranking.

"Reaching a career-high ranking of 31 is truly an amazing achievement," Manika said. "I think it's a result of dedicated training and supportive team that I have with me - my coach, my training partner, my family, friends and sponsors."

"I am really happy that I have had these people around me to support me," she added. "What I have is a constant drive to improve every day - which really helps me. I really want to improve more. I want to be in the top 20 soon."

---

"Everyone is focusing on this aspect" - Manika Batra speaks about the importance of mental health

Mental health is what some of the best players focus on, and Manika also does not miss out on mental preparation ahead of her matches. She has acknowledged the importance of mental health and continuously works on improving it.

"Nowadays, everyone is focusing on this aspect (mental health)," Manika Batra said. "For me, mental preparation involved mindfulness, visualisation and working closely with some good sports psychologists.

"It's really important for me and I am working on this to improve every day and staying focused and calm in crunch moments. It is important to maintain a positive mindset."

On the topic of the ever-rising expectations from fans, Manika reasoned that the expectations exist only when you've achieved a certain level. However, instead of focusing on that, Manika chooses to enjoy her game and better herself.

"Being a recognised player comes with expectations. I am happy that the expectations are there because if you're at that level - that's when people's expectations rise. I try not to focus on the expectations and instead focus on enjoying the game," Manika Batra signed off.