India’s top medal prospects at Tokyo Olympics and their main challengers: Manika Batra
Since making her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, Manika Batra has done well to rise through the Commonwealth and Asian ranks but will have her task cut at Tokyo 2020.
World No. 63 Manika Batra will lead India’s women’s singles campaign in table tennis at the Tokyo Olympics.
Ever since winning the singles gold and leading the charge for gold against previously unbeaten Singapore in the women’s team event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Manika Batra has been seen as a messiah for the sport in India.
A few months later, she also won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games with veteran Sharath Kamal, establishing herself as one of the top competitors in Asia.
After winning the ITTF’s ‘Breakthrough Star’ award in 2018 - the only Indian to do so thus far - Manika Batra has put up consistent performances at various ITTF World Tour events.
Manika already has some Olympic experience - having played at Rio 2016 where the then 21-year-old was eliminated in the first round.
The Delhi girl qualified for her second Olympics at the Asian qualifiers. Manika has an outside chance of an Olympic medal, having been seeded 61st and will have to go through the preliminary rounds to make the Round of 32, when the top seeds begin to compete in Tokyo.
However, Manika Batra is no stranger to pulling off a few upsets and she will face some stiff competition to end up on the podium.
Mima Ito (Japan)
Top achievements: Rio 2016 bronze medallist (women’s team) and eight ITTF World Tour titles.
What makes her special? With China dominating women’s table tennis at the Olympics, having won every single gold medal, it will take quite a special talent to upstage their streak and Mima Ito could be the answer.
Considered the biggest threat to Chinese table tennis, Mima Ito became one of the youngest Olympic medallists when she helped the Japanese women’s team to bronze at Rio 2016.
Mima Ito broke into the world’s top 10 at the age of 14 and is now seeded third for the Tokyo Olympics.
Still only 20 years old, Mima Ito has begun the Olympic year in blistering fashion, having won the WTT Contender and WTT Star Contender in Doha, Qatar in March and reaching the final of the Japan National Championships.
Chen Meng (China)
Top achievements: Four-time ITTF World Tour Grand Finals champion (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020); ITTF World Cup champion (2020); World Championships silver-medallist (2019)
What makes her special? After announcing herself by winning the World Junior Championships in 2011 and breaking into the top-10 in 2013, Chen Meng has been among the top players in the world.
With a star-studded Chinese team denying her a place at Rio 2016, Chen Meng bounced back by winning the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in 2017 and 2018, and rising to world No. 1 for the first time in 2018.
Since June 2019, Chen Meng has not relinquished that spot and made it four consecutive ITTF World Grand Finals titles as she took the crowns in 2019 and 2020.
Chen Meng enjoyed a stellar year in 2020, taking her maiden ITTF Women’s World Cup title and the All China National Championships to go with her ITTF Grand Tour Finals victory.
Though she has not yet played in 2021 as China withdrew from a few tournaments, Chen Meng will finally make her Olympic debut at the age of 27.
Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico)
Top achievements: Two-time Pan American champion (2019, 2020)
What makes her special? Adriana Diaz became the first female Puerto Rican table tennis player to qualify for the Olympics at Rio 2016 when she was just 15 years old.
Seeded 16th for the Tokyo Olympics, Adriana Diaz is now the highest-ranked non-Asian player in the world rankings.
Having trained in China in her younger days, Adriana Diaz’s consistent showings in ITTF World Tour events has helped popularise the sport in Puerto Rico.
She became the first Puerto Rican to win the Pan American Games in 2019 and defended her title in 2020.
Adriana Diaz is expected to put up a tough fight against Asian favourites like China and Japan and that naturally makes her a fierce competitor for Manika Batra.