Bangkok: Star paddler Manika Batra on Saturday scripted history here after becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal at the ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup Tournament.Manika stunned World No. 6 and three-time Asian Champion Hina Hayata of Japan 4-2 (11-6, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 11-2) in bronze medal play-off at the Hua Mak Indoor Stadium.
Earlier, the unseeded Indian, suffered a 2-4 (8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8, 7-11) loss at the hands of Tokyo Olympics 2020 bronze medallist Mima Ito of Japan in the semifinal on Saturday.She has defeated World No.7 Chen Xingtong in the quarterfinals to become the first women to sail into the semifinal.
Manika has already ensured the best finish by an Indian in the 39-year-old history of the Asian Cup, after A. Sharath Kamal and G. Sathiyan had reached the sixth positions in 2015 and 2019, respectively.The event features the top 16 players in the men's and women's singles from the continent based on world rankings and qualifications.(UNI)