'A potent boost to my Olympics preparations'

Indian table tennis star Manika Batra, who became the first singles player from her country to break into the top 25 of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings, said that the accomplishment serves as a huge boost ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics.

Manika achieved a career-high world number 24 in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings issued on Tuesday. This is the first time ever that an Indian paddler has broken into the top 25 in singles rankings, as per Olympics.com.

"It is indeed a very proud moment for me. To break into the top 25 and achieve my career-best ranking just months before the Olympic games is a very potent boost to my preparations. I am truly honoured to have achieved this feat and it is incredibly fulfilling to see all my hard work and efforts pay off," Manika said in a statement after her accomplishment.

"As I look ahead to Paris 2024, I am motivated more than ever to continue this performance and move upwards in the ranking to make my country proud. I really want to thank god for the blessings that helped me to give my best performance at the highest level. Improvement is a continuous process and I am committed to it," she added.