Need to work on fitness: Manika Batra

New Delhi, May 10

Advertisement

Manika Batra could not be more thrilled about bossing world No. 2 Wang Manyu from China earlier this week but to beat the top-10 players more often, the Indian table tennis trailblazer knows she needs to do more on the tactical and fitness fronts.

I have noticed in this tournament that if you want to reach the semifinals and finals, your stamina, your body should be trained like that. Manika Batra

After becoming the first Indian woman to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Smash (top tier events organised by World Table Tennis), the 28-year-old doesn’t want to sit on her laurels and her focus is firmly fixed on the Paris Olympics.

The Delhi-born player shocked Manyu before blanking 14th-ranked Nina Mittelham from Germany. The loss in the quarterfinals came against fifth ranked Hina Hayata. Batra had beaten Hayata before, but the Japanese was better prepared in their latest meeting.

“First of all I am really happy. I had a lot of fun beating her,” said a beaming Batra, who had lost badly to Manyu at the Macau World Cup last month.

“After Macau, I sat with my coach (Aman Balgu). I was really emotional at that time because I told him that something is going wrong and we really have to work on a few things. After that, we had 10-12 days of intense sessions which really helped me in this tournament,” added the 39th ranked Indian, who will break into the top-25 next week.

“To be honest, I don’t see any differences but I have noticed in this tournament that if you want to reach the semifinals and finals, your body should be trained like that. The Chinese and Japanese move really fast. It shouldn’t happen that after the quarters or semifinals… you are getting tired. So I have to work on my stamina and agility till the Olympics,” she said.

“Game wise, everything was there. It’s just mentally you have to be strong and you have to believe that you can do it. I also really liked my fighting spirit. Need to work on a few things like my forehand. It was really good in this tournament but need to take it to the next level,” she added.