When Manika Batra won the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold in Gold Coast, Australia, she became the flag-bearer of sorts for Indian women’s table tennis. In the last six years, many more Indian women paddlers have left a mark on the world stage, and the 29-year-old believes that India has a shot at winning an elusive table tennis medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.

Batra played an instrumental role in the Indian women’s team qualifying for the Paris Olympics 2024, a first for Indian table tennis. She also reached the quarter-finals of the WTT Saudi Smash in May by beating World No. 2 and former world champion Wang Manyu of China and World No. 14 Nina Mittelham of Germany.