The world’s fastest sport has arrived in France for its biggest tournament, the WTT Champions Montpellier 2024. Even faster than the ball leaving the paddle is the news of Manika Batra making history as she becomes the first Indian to reach the quarter-finals, casting a rare spotlight on Indian table tennis.
Batra’s victory over Bernadette Szocs—mirroring her win in India’s first-ever women’s team quarter-final at the Paris 2024 Olympics—highlights individual brilliance but also exposes systemic shortcomings: India’s ambitions in the sport remain hindered by inconsistent results and an underdeveloped talent and infrastructure.
Despite Batra’s rise, with standout moments at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Tokyo 2020, her achievements have been largely self-driven. To foster consistent success, India’s table tennis needs substantial investment in grassroots programs, advanced coaching, and global training partnerships. Without these changes, the sport’s potential in India will remain unfulfilled, leaving top athletes like Batra facing uphill battles. Batra lost in the quarter-finals to Qian Tianyi of China, ending her historic run in WTT Champions 2024 while India's thirst for a podium finish continues for another year.