India’s table tennis sensation Manika Batra who won 2 gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Australia and another bronze medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, has put another feather to her illustrious cap.
The 23-year-old Arjuna awardee has become the first Indian Table Tennis player to be awarded the ‘Breakthrough Table Tennis Star’ award at the prestigious International Table Tennis Federation Star Awards in Incheon, South Korea.
Indian superstar Manika Batra wins the 2018 Breakthrough Star award presented by Monday Club at the Incheon 2018 #ITTFStarAwards! #Congrats pic.twitter.com/sspTI5RK1q
— ITTF World (@ittfworld) December 12, 2018
“I am really honoured and happy to have received the award. I feel 2018 has been the best year of my career so far and I am happy for what I have achieved,” Manika said at the ceremony.
“I would like to thank the Government, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and most importantly, my family, who has been there for me and motivated me along this journey,” she added.
Thank you @ittfworld for acknowledging my efforts and giving me the Breakthrough Star Award 2018. Thanks to @sandeepgupta_tt @MorSubodh @ttfitweet @Media_SAI @IndiaSports @IndianOilcl, my family and all well-wishers for all the support. I will continue to keep striving forward? pic.twitter.com/NxCL9fIhuL
— Manika Batra (@manikabatra_TT) December 12, 2018
Manika’s 2018 Medal Journey
Manika won her first gold medal of the year at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Women’s Team category that comprised of Manika, Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das. They defeated four-time gold medallists and defending champions Singapore by 3-1. This was India’s first-ever gold medal in the category.
Then there was no stopping her. She bagged another gold in the women’s singles category, defeating World No. 4 Feng Tianwei in an easy game. Manika was World No.58 then.
She added 2 more medals to her kitty, a silver with Mouma Das in women’s doubles and a bronze with Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the mixed doubles category.
At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, she teamed up with Achanta Sharath Kamal in the mixed doubles category and clinched a bronze.
Manika has also reached her career-best ranking of 52 in 2018 and became India’s highest ranked female player.
On the other hand, the person behind this huge success of Indian table tennis this year, Massimo Costantini, was also honoured with the ‘2018 Table Tennis Star Coach award’ at the International Table Tennis Federation Star Awards.
Congratulations Manika and her coach for this outstanding achievement!
#Congrats to Massimo Costantini for taking the 2018 Table Tennis Star Coach award presented by Butterfly at the Incheon 2018 #ITTFStarAwards! pic.twitter.com/ioIAc377q6
— ITTF World (@ittfworld) December 12, 2018
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