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{{short description|Indian table tennis player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox table tennis player
| name = Manika Batra
| image = Manika Batra 1 (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Manika Batra
| nicknames =
| nationality = Indian
| residence =
| playingstyle = Shakehand grip
| equipment =
| hrank =
| crank =
| club =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|6|15|df=yes}}<ref name=cwg/>
| birth_place = [[Delhi]], [[India]]<ref name=cwg/>
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|1.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (2018)<ref name=cwg/>
| weight = {{convert|67|kg|lb|abbr=on}} (2018)<ref name=cwg/>
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's [[table tennis]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{IND}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Asian Games]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[2018 Asian Games|2018 Jakarta Palembang]] | [[Table tennis at the 2018 Asian Games – Mixed doubles|Mixed doubles]] }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Commonwealth Games]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2018 Commonwealth Games|2018 Gold Coast]] | [[Table tennis at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women's team|Women's team]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2018 Commonwealth Games|2018 Gold Coast]] | [[Table tennis at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women's singles|Women's singles]] }}
{{MedalSilver | [[2018 Commonwealth Games|2018 Gold Coast]] | [[Table tennis at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women's doubles|Women's doubles]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[2018 Commonwealth Games|2018 Gold Coast]] | [[Table tennis at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Mixed doubles|Mixed doubles]] }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[South Asian Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2016 South Asian Games|2016 Guwahati/Shillong]] | Women's team|Women's team}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2016 South Asian Games|2016 Guwahati/Shillong]] | Women's doubles|Women's doubles}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2016 South Asian Games|2016 Guwahati/Shillong]] | Mixed doubles|Mixed doubles}}
{{Medal|Silver|[[2016 South Asian Games|2016 Guwahati/Shillong]] | Women's singles|Women's singles}}
}}

'''Manika Batra''' (born 15 June 1995) is an [[India]]n [[table tennis]] player. As of November 2020, she is the top-ranked female table tennis player in India and ranked 63rd in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ITTF - World Ranking|url=https://ranking.ittf.com/#/players/profile/115920|access-date=1 December 2020|website=ranking.ittf.com}}</ref> She specialises in playing long-pimples on her backhand, a rubber which is not often played by top players.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.in/commonwealth-games/story/_/id/23077722/the-sleight-backhand-manika-batra-set-india-path-table-tennis-women-team-event-gold |title=Manika's sleight of backhand gives India historic gold |date=8 April 2018 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=24 August 2020 }}</ref> She received [[Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award]] in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title='It motivates me to work harder': Manika Batra on winning Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/sports/report-it-motivates-me-to-work-harder-manika-batra-on-winning-rajiv-gandhi-khel-ratna-2840070 |access-date=18 October 2020 |work=DNA India |date=29 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==
Batra was born on 15 June 1995 as the youngest of three children.<ref name=ie>{{cite news|last1=Judge|first1=Shahid|title=India's table tennis hope for Rio 2016 Olympics – Manika Batra|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/rio-2016-olymics-table-tennis-manika-batra-2890311/|access-date=6 July 2016|work=The Indian Express|date=3 July 2016}}</ref> She hails from [[Naraina Area|Naraina Vihar]] in Delhi<ref>{{cite news|title=Paddler Manika Batra completes hat-trick of gold medals at South Asian Games|url=http://www.news18.com/news/other-sports/paddler-manika-batra-completes-hat-trick-of-gold-medals-at-south-asian-games-1201398.html|access-date=4 July 2016|work=News18|date=10 February 2016}}</ref> and began playing table tennis at the age of four.<ref name=hindu>{{cite news|title=Manika Batra: the new hope of the nation|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/manika-batra-the-new-hope-of-the-nation/article2378176.ece|work=The Hindu|access-date=28 June 2016|date=21 August 2011}}</ref> Her elder sister Anchal and elder brother Sahil both played table tennis,<ref name=espn>{{cite news|last1=Sen|first1=Debayan|title=Manika Batra looks to Rio and beyond|url=http://www.espn.in/olympics/story/_/id/17145775/manika-batra-looks-rio-beyond|access-date=2 August 2016|work=ESPN.in|date=27 July 2016}}</ref> with Anchal having an influence on her during her early playing career.<ref name=yahoo>{{cite news|last1=Ghoshal|first1=Shuvro|title=Interview with Manika Batra: "I don't want to go to Rio Olympics and return without a medal"|url=https://in.news.yahoo.com/interview-manika-batra-don-t-140150037.html|access-date=4 July 2016|work=Yahoo!|date=11 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822193541/https://in.news.yahoo.com/interview-manika-batra-don-t-140150037.html|archive-date=22 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> After winning a match in a state-level under-8 tournament, Batra decided to train under coach Sandeep Gupta who suggested her to switch to [[Hans Raj Model School]] where he ran his academy.<ref name=espn/>

Batra turned down many modelling offers as a teenager.<ref name=cwg>{{cite web|title=Manika Batra|url=http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/table_tennis/1027589/m_batra.html|publisher=Glasgow 2014|access-date=28 June 2016}}</ref> When she was 16, she declined a scholarship to train at the [[Peter Karlsson (table tennis)|Peter Karlsson]] Academy in Sweden.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Judge|first1=Shahid|title=Improved fitness key to Manika Batra's consistency|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/improved-fitness-key-to-manikas-consistency/|work=The Indian Express|access-date=28 June 2016|date=18 December 2015}}</ref> She studied at the [[Jesus and Mary College]] for a year before dropping out to "concentrate" on table tennis.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Patra|first1=Pratyush|title=Delhi love & Rio talk before Olympics|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/delhi/Delhi-love-Rio-talk-before-Olympics/articleshow/52126764.cms|access-date=6 July 2016|work=The Times of India|date=6 May 2016}}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:ManikaBatra.jpg|thumb|270px|Manika Batra in action at 2019 [[Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships]], [[Odisha]], India]]

In 2011, Batra won the silver medal in the under-21 category of the Chile Open.<ref name=hindu/> She represented India at the [[2014 Commonwealth Games]] at Glasgow, where she finished quarterfinalist,<ref name=espn/> as well as the [[2014 Asian Games]]. She won three medals at the 2015 [[Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships]],<ref name=yahoo/> winning silver in the women's team event (with [[Ankita Das]] and [[Mouma Das]]) as well as the women's doubles event (with Ankita Das) and bronze in the women's singles event.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Keerthivasan|first1=K.|title=Singapore sweeps singles titles|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/avadh20th-commonwealth-table-tennis-championships-singapore-sweeps-singles-titles/article8014783.ece|access-date=6 July 2016|work=The Hindu|date=21 December 2015}}</ref>

Batra won three gold medals at the [[2016 South Asian Games]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Rio Zone – Manika Batra: Nation's new hope|url=http://www.punemirror.in/sports/others/Rio-Zone-Manika-Batra-Nations-new-hope/articleshow/52542678.cms|work=Pune Mirror|access-date=28 June 2016|date=1 June 2016}}</ref> winning the women's doubles event (with [[Pooja Sahasrabudhe]]), mixed doubles event (with [[Anthony Amalraj]]) and women's team event (with Mouma Das and [[Shamini Kumaresan]]). Batra was denied a fourth gold medal at the Games by Mouma Das, who defeated her in the final of the women's singles event.<ref>{{cite news|title=South Asian Games: India clean sweeps 12 medals in Table Tennis|url=http://www.tensports.com/news/south-asian-games-india-clean-sweeps-12-medals-table-tennis|access-date=6 July 2016|work=Ten Sports|date=10 February 2016}}</ref> She qualified for the women's singles event of the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] by winning the South Asia group of the [[Table tennis at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification|qualification tournament]] in April 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Table Tennis: Soumyajit Ghosh, Manika Batra book Rio Olympics berths with victories in Asian Qualifiers|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-table-tennis-soumyajit-ghosh-manika-batra-book-rio-olympics-berths-with-victories-in-asian-qualifiers-2202068|work=DNA India|access-date=28 June 2016|date=14 April 2016}}</ref> However, her appearance at the 2016 Olympics short-lived, as she lost to [[Katarzyna Grzybowska]] of [[Poland]] in the first round of the [[Table tennis at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's singles|women's individual event]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Rio Olympics 2016: Mouma Das, Manika Batra lose as Indian women's challenge in table tennis ends|url=http://www.firstpost.com/sports/rio-olympics-2016-mouma-das-manika-batra-lose-as-indian-womens-challenge-in-table-tennis-ends-2939704.html|access-date=8 August 2016|publisher=First Post|date=6 August 2016}}</ref>

Batra led the [[Table tennis at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women's team|Indian women's team]] to a gold medal win in the final against four-time gold medalists and defending champions Singapore at the [[2018 Commonwealth Games]] in Gold Coast, Australia.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/manika-batra-leads-india-to-historic-women-table-tennis-gold-at-commonwealth-games/articleshow/63668849.cms | title=Manika Batra leads India to historic women Table Tennis gold at Commonwealth Games | newspaper=[[The Economic Times]] | date=8 April 2018 | access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref> The Singapore women's table tennis team had never lost in the Commonwealth Games since the sport was inducted in the program in 2002. Batra defeated world number 4 [[Feng Tianwei]] as well as [[Zhou Yihan]] in India's 3–1 win in the final.<ref>{{cite news|title=CWG 2018: India women win gold in table tennis team event |department=Commonwealth Games News |newspaper=Times of India
|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/commonwealth-games/cwg-2018-india-women-win-gold-in-table-tennis-team-event/articleshow/63668428.cms |date=8 April 2018}}</ref>

Batra and [[Mouma Das]] won India's maiden silver medal in the women's doubles category at the [[2018 Commonwealth Games]] losing to defending champions Feng Tianwei and Yu Mengyu of Singapore in the gold medal clash.
Batra became the first Indian woman to bag a commonwealth table tennis individual gold medal in CWG 2018 by beating Yu Mengyu of Singapore. She won 4 medals in 4 events she was participating out of which 2 are gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Manika Batra wins bronze in the mixed doubles to win her fourth medal|date=14 April 2018|url=http://www.espn.com/commonwealth-games/story/_/id/23175253/manika-batra-wins-bronze-mixed-doubles-win-fourth-medal-cwg|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref>

On 12 December 2018 she became the only Indian to receive "The Breakthrough Star Award" by ITTF.

In 2020, she failed to secure for India a position in the Women's Team event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when she lost in the opening match of the Tokyo 2020 Qualifiers quarter-final to France's Marie Migot 2–3.<ref>{{cite news |last1=PTI |title=Tokyo 2020: France defeat ends Indian women's Table Tennis team's Olympic dream |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/tokyo-2020-france-defeat-ends-indian-women-table-tennis-team-olympic-dream-1640159-2020-01-25 |access-date=2 March 2020 |work=India Today |date=25 January 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

==In the media==
Batra was featured on the cover of the July 2018 issue of [[Femina (India)|Femina]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/fashion-indias-golden-girls-glam-up-feminas-latest-cover/20180710.htm|title=India's golden girls glam up Femina's latest cover|work=Rediff|access-date=17 July 2018}}</ref>

She also featured in the November 2018 edition of [[Vogue Magazine]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160817025854/http://www.ittf.com/ittf_ranking/WR_Table_3_A2_Details.asp?ID=25454482&s_Player_Name=& International Table Tennis Federation's profile]
* [http://www.tabletennisbug.com/2018/06/manika-batra-profile.html Manika Batra profile]

{{Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batra, Manika}}
[[Category:1995 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female table tennis players]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Delhi]]
[[Category:Table tennis players at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic table tennis players of India]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Table tennis players at the 2014 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Table tennis players at the 2018 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in table tennis]]
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Table tennis players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in table tennis]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for India]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for India]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for India]]
[[Category:University of Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:South Asian Games gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:South Asian Games medalists in table tennis]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]

Manika Batra - Revision history

Rajiv Ranjan Bhakt: /* External links */

Rajiv Ranjan Bhakt: /* External links */

>Scorpions13256: Copying from Category:21st-century Indian women to Category:21st-century Indian people non-diffusing subcategory using Cat-a-lot