After splitting with Sathiyan, table tennis champion Manika Batra will join Manav Thakkar in the next Olympic cycle.

Manika Batra, a rising star in table tennis in India, has teamed up with 24-year-old Manav Thakkar in mixed doubles. This comes after Batra and her three-year partner, G Sathiyan, chose to split after Batra failed to qualify for the just-finished Olympics in Paris. Manav, rated 57th in the world, is the highest-ranking Indian man after Sharath Kamal, ranked 38, although Kamal ended his Olympic career after the Paris Games.

In the three years that they have played together, Manika and Sathiyan have had an incredible run, even breaking into the top five worldwide rankings. Not only did they make it to the Round of 16 at the Hangzhou Asian Games, but they also advanced to the final of the WTT Feeder II tournament earlier this year. But qualifying was the aim.  

In the mixed doubles competition, which has only 16 qualifying spots, two wins guarantee a team a spot in the qualifying medal rounds. Because there is a higher probability of winning medals at major competitions, players are increasingly placing a lot of emphasis on mixed doubles.

“I believe Manika and I performed admirably, even if we were unable to qualify for the Olympics. Without a sure, Manika was one of the greatest partners to play with, but we both agreed it was time to try out other people, Sathiyan told The Indian Express. Sreeja Akula, the top-ranked player in India, will now be Sathiyan’s partner.

We participated in a few competitions together and did well. She (Sreeja) has a style that is comparable to Manika’s. Right now, she is the nation’s.

In the mixed doubles competition, which has only 16 qualifying spots, two wins guarantee a team a spot in the qualifying medal rounds. Because there is a higher probability of winning medals at major competitions, players are increasingly placing a lot of emphasis on mixed doubles.

“I believe Manika and I performed admirably, even if we were unable to qualify for the Olympics. Without a sure, Manika was one of the greatest partners to play with, but we both agreed it was time to try out other people, Sathiyan told The Indian Express. Sreeja Akula, the top-ranked player in India, will now be Sathiyan’s partner. We participated in a few competitions together and did well. She (Sreeja) has a style that is comparable to Manika’s. Right now, she is the nation’s.