As soon as then-World No 4 and multiple Olympic medallist Feng Tianwei hit a backhand long, a star was born in India. Manika Batra had done the nation proud, helping India to its first women's team gold in the Commonwealth Games. If people thought it was a flash in the pan, the Delhi girl had other ideas. Just days later, she followed that up with a historic singles gold in Gold Coast. It was the first time since the sport was introduced in the CWG that Singapore had been beaten to the yellow metal.Since then, it has been a whirlwind ride for the 23-year-old. From interview requests to chat show appearances, everyone just can't seem to get enough of India's new golden girl.
Ahead of the second season of the Ultimate Table Tennis, Express caught up with the current World No 69. Excerpts...Q. How much has your life changed since Gold Coast? Do you enjoy being in the limelight?A. It has been a roller-coaster ride to say the least. I never imagined getting such a response once I was back. I have enjoyed the adulation personally but most importantly, table tennis has managed to find a foothold in the country. So many people have started following the sport and the credit for that goes not only to me, but also my teammates.Q.
The CWG high was followed by World Championship disappointment. Was it a reality check of sorts?A. The most important thing people are quick to forget is we beat Asian powerhouses Singapore. If we had been knocked out by a lower team I could understand. World Championship is a whole different ball game. We could have done better but these things happen. We only got about a week of preparation time ahead of our Sweden trip. We still managed to stay in the elite division. Considering that, I think we did quite well.Q. Opponents are now wary of you. How do you plan to take your game to the next level?A. Ever since I came back from Halmstad, me and my personal coach Sandeep (Gupta) sir have been working on my attacking game.
Against Feng, I had used long pimpled rubber on the backhand, something which worked really well. Indian players usually play a more defensive game but if we are to conquer Asian teams, we need to work more on our attack. Playing in simulated situations like when I'm down a match point or trying to claw back a big lead are things I'm trying out right now.Q. Playing at the top level requires a lot of physical and mental fitness. Any plans to work on these things?A. Table tennis requires extremely fast reflexes. For that, paddlers need to be mentally and physically fit. I'm constantly working on these aspects.
Max (Massimo Costantini) has given all of us a customized list of dos and don'ts. On top of that, Sandeep Sir also works with me whenever I'm in Delhi. I'm trying to improve my physical fitness. There is no mental trainer as such in Indian table tennis as of now but we sit with the coaches and speak on such matters before a major tournament or ahead of a match.Q. You and Mouma Das have done well in doubles on the Pro Tour but Indian women have not had the best of times in singles. Do you think that can change?A. Me and Mouma are comfortable playing with each other so is the rest of the group. We have bonded well which helps in doubles. But when it comes to singles, I think we needed a certain push and I'm hopeful that our CWG performance will go a long way in helping us realise that goal. Everyone has gained in confidence and on top of that, the younger crop are learning so much by playing in the junior circuit and Ultimate Table Tennis.Q. Coming to UTT, how much has the league helped?A. The league has done a lot.
Exposure is the most essential aspect in sports nowadays and so many youngsters have managed to train with and play against the best of the best. We will not see instant results but I'm hopeful that the next batch will be much improved when their time comes.Q. Max has a lot of plans for you regarding playing abroad. Can you elaborate on them?A. We have had a few chats (laughs). There are plans. I have always wanted to play in a foreign league.
Not many women in India have played outside unlike the male paddlers. But we still need to finalise them. Let's see what happens. Nothing is certain as of now. Q. Your goals for the coming year, keeping in mind the Asian Games is coming up and people will put you under pressure?A. Obviously, there will be pressure but it depends on how you handle them. I don't see it as a burden, instead I try to give my best and win for my country. That's all that matters. If you let pressure bog you down, you will never attain success. Asian Games will be a lot tougher but we need to play our best and then anything can happen. Personally, I want to cause a few upsets at least and then take it from there. Winning the UTT for my new club Dabang Smashers will be great and hopefully, I can break into the Top 40 by the year-end.ayantan@newindianexpress.com