'YEH EK DIN KI MEHNAT NAHI HAIN': MANIKA BATRA ON HER HISTORIC WIN AGAINST WORLD NO. 2 WANG MANYU

NEW DELHI: Indian table tennis star Manika Batra bested the current World No. 2 Wang Manyu of China to enter the last 16 of the ongoing Saudi Smash in Jeddah on Monday.

Addressing the media following her monumental triumph, the Indian paddler celebrated the win as the "biggest achievement" of her career in singles.

"It was my biggest achievement in my singles' career. I am really happy that I won against her. I have been working hard in my training sessions with my coach Aman Balgu, my practice partner and trainer. So I am really happy because I worked hard (for this result). Of course, yeh ek din ki mehnat nahi hain (This is not the result of a single day's effort). I kept on working hard for days, months, and years. I am glad that all those training sessions bore fruit for me," said the 39th-ranked Batra.

Vowing to keep her momentum, she added, "I will keep on fighting as I did today. I was fighting for every ball. I would like to keep this fighting spirit for my next match and the coming tournaments."

Having recently lost her position as the top-ranked Indian female player to Sreeja Akula (World No.38), Batra defeated China's Wang 3-1 (6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10) in a 37-minute encounter.

The Indian paddler will now lock horns with Germany's Nina Mittelham, ranked 14th in the world, for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The 28-year-old has already qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 and will be representing India in the most significant sporting event of the year.