Paris Olympics 2024: Manika Batra Sends India Women's Team Into Table-Tennis Quarter-Final

PARIS: Indian star Manika Batra thrived under pressure to send the women's table tennis team into the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

India scored a narrow 3-2 victory against Romania to keep their medal hopes alive. Batra's solid performance, including two crucial wins, helped the Indians overcome the stiff Romanian challenge.

India took a comfortable 2-0 lead after Sreeja Akula-Archana Kamath and Manika Batra won the first two matches of the tie.

However, the Romanians made a strong comeback as they won the next two matches to force a decider.

Batra defeated Adina Diaconu 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 in the final showdown to seal the deal for India.

India will take on the winner of the match between USA and Germany in the women’s team table tennis quarter-final.

India started-off the tie in an emphatic fashion as Archana Kamath and Sreeja Akula paired up to face Adina Diaconu and Elizabeta Samara of Romania.

The Indian duo displayed incredible teamwork, cruising to a straight sets victory with scores of 11-9, 12-10, 11-7. This impressive win gave India an early 1-0 lead.

Next up on the cards was India's star player Manika Batra who outplayed her opponent to register a convincing 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 win. Her dominant performance extended India's lead to 2-0, putting the team in a strong position.

Just when it seemed like the Romanians were down and out, they staged a spirited fightback to come back into this tie.

India's Sreeja Akula narrowly lost the five-game thriller, with scores of 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 against Samara.

This victory kept Romania in the contest, reducing India's lead to 2-1. Romania's Szocs took advantage of the momentum as she got the better of Kamath by a scoreline of 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9.

With the scores leveled at 2-2, the stage was set for a deciding match. The Indian team showed strong character as they remained focused and determined despite the setback.

Their resilience and skill paid off as India progressed to the quarter-finals, showcasing their potential for further success in the tournament.

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