Manika Batra : I want to win an Olympic medal for India

The Indian table tennis team did the nation proud after an impressive display at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games where they won medals across all the categories they participated in. After a disappointing show at the 2014 Glasgow games, the likes of Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal, and G Sathiyan more than made up by bagging multiple medals in Australia earlier this year.

Batra, who claimed four medals which included one gold medal, revealed that her next target is to win a gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. The Asian Games will be the next challenge for the Indian paddlers who are currently participating in the ongoing Ultimate Tennis Tournament.

"The CWG put the focus on me and a lot of overseas players would have noticed me. So, immediately after the tournament I started working on my game along with the coach. I have started to make technical changes to my game. The focus is more on my forehand, so I attack more now.

"Asian Games is going to be a lot more tougher than the CWG. I would want to do well in the tournament. The aim is to break in the top-40 in the world and in the long run, I want to win an Olympic medal for India," Batra told IndiaToday.in.

Still only 23, the Delhi girl has emerged as the face of the table tennis in the country. But for Batra, the road is still long and there’s a lot more in store for her ahead.

"A lot has changed. More people are now interested in the game, which is good. Also, I am enjoying the recognition that I have got," Batra told IndiaToday.in.

"But the focus is on the game. I don't want to let down the people who have pinned their hope on me. Commonwealth Games was good but the target now is to continue performing well," Batra added.