Olympics 2024: Manika Batra becomes first Indian table tennis player to reach round of 16

Manika Batra made history as the first Indian table tennis player to advance to the Olympic Games singles round of 16 by defeating Prithika Pavade 4-0. The 29-year-old, a gold medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, triumphed over Pavade, originally from Puducherry, now in France. Ranked 28th globally, Manika surpassed her 19-year-old opponent, who is ranked 10 places above her.