After the historic feat at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and the recent Asian Games, the table tennis trio of Achanta Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan G and Manika Batra reached their career best rankings in the latest list issued by the world governing body ITTF.
.@sharathkamal1 and @ManikaBatra_TT create history by acheiving their highest ever @ittfworld rank of 3⃣1⃣ and 5⃣5⃣ respectively! 🤩#UpTheGame pic.twitter.com/t24GZkFYd7
— Ultimate TableTennis (@UltTableTennis) October 2, 2018
Posting on Twitter, Batra said, “Great feeling to climb to my best rank of 55. Congratulations to Sharath Kamal bhaiya and Sathiyan too for their career best ranks. Thank you to Sandeep Gupta sir, Subhodh sir and all my well wishers for your continuous support.”
Great feeling to climb to my best rank of 55! Congratulations to @sharathkamal1 bhaiya and @sathiyantt too for their career best ranks. Thank you to @sandeepgupta_tt sir, Subhodh sir and all my well wishers for your continuous support. https://t.co/TGglaBDF81
— Manika Batra (@manikabatra_TT) October 2, 2018
Also Read: Does India take its sportswomen seriously?
While Asiad champion and Arjuna Awardee, Manika Batra, reached No 55, improving on her previous best of 56, veteran Sharath Kamal is going into the top 30 for the first time in his career. He is ranked 31 in the October list while Arjuna Awardee Sathiyan is close on his heels at No 36. Among women players, Mouma Das ranked 110.
Humbled and honoured to receive the prestigious #Arjunaaward from the honourable @PresidentofIndia Shri Ram Nath Kovind. I would like to extend my gracious thanks to my family, coach Sandeep sir, Subodh sir, the TTFI, @IndiaSports @Media_SAI @IndianOilcl
— Manika Batra (@manikabatra_TT) September 25, 2018
and all my well wishers pic.twitter.com/C5OaqdtzAR
At Gold Coast, after guiding the Indian women’s team to a historic gold, and claiming the women’s doubles silver in table tennis, Manika scripted history as the first Indian woman to bag the gold medal in table tennis singles final. She trounced each competition with grit and determination and became an overnight sensation back home. Manika also secured a women’s doubles silver alongside Mouma Das and mixed doubles bronze with G Sathiyan. She won four medals in the Commonwealth Games and two of them are gold. In the latest, the Delhi girl claimed women’s title in National Ranking tournament on July 10.
Manika has become Indian sports’ new poster girl and even PM Narendra Modi heaped praises on her. She returned home to a grand welcome ceremony
In 2014, Manika had reached the quarterfinals at the Commonwealth Games. A year later, she helped India bag a team silver and women’s doubles silver in the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship. She qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics by winning the South Asia Group qualification tournament.