Manika Batra, the Commonwealth games gold medalist, won the third-place match in the Asian Cup Table Tennis on Saturday and bagged a historic bronze medal for India.

She defeated Japan’s world number six Japan’s Hina Hayata, who was the third seed in the tournament with a score of 4-2 (11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 11-2) and became the first Indian woman ever to win a medal at the prestigious tournament.  

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Speaking to the Times of India after the win, Batra said, “I feel happy to win a medal and defeat top players here. I am really happy with my performance. Playing against them is a big thing and beating them is bigger. I am happy with my confidence and my game.”

Batra had earlier lost a chance to reach the finals of the Asian Cup after she lost the semi-final match to Japan’s Mima Ito.  

Speaking about the match with Ito, Batra said: “Ito is a great player. After that match. I was only thinking ki ab wo match ho gya hai. Ek jagah baithke men apne aapko calm kar rahi thi (I was thinking that the match is over and I sat at one place and was trying to calm myself) and I was focussing on my next match.”

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“At that time, I was not sad or upset, I thought that I have to play one more match. So, I knew I had to keep on going, I played my best without any pressure,” she added. 

A resident of Naraina Vihar, Delhi, Batra is currently ranked 44 in the world by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITFF). She is the top-ranked table tennis player from India and won gold with team India in the Commonwealth Games 2018.