Aditya ChaudhuriIndia’s no.1 female table tennis player Manika Batra signs with Adidas to empower women and enable them to see possibilities in the world of sports.
Leading sportswear giant Adidas continues to celebrate and boost women in the world of sports by bringing onboard India No.1 table tennis player Manika Batra. The duo aims to drive credibility and inclusivity in sports, further fanning the aspirations of upcoming women sports persons across the country.
This partnership focuses on empowering women to realise their dreams as the brand continues to be an ally, cheering for women breaking barriers and creating a reverberating impact in the world of sports. The brand partners with Manika Batra, whose passion and perseverance brought her many honours, including the 2018 Arjuna Award and the 2020 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna. A string of gold medals she won in the Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast ‘18 (Women’s Singles, Women’s Team) and in South Asian Games, Gold Coast ‘18 (Women’s Singles, Women’s Team, Mixed Doubles) have earned her the moniker ‘India’s golden girl’.
Batra is the first Indian woman to win gold in Table Tennis at the Commonwealth Games, the first Indian player to enter Top 10 of Women’s Double and Top 15 of Mixed doubles of ITTF World Rankings, and the first Indian woman to enter Top 50 of the ITTF Rankings. Owing to her ‘Impossible Is Nothing’ attitude, Manika joins Adidas’ rich roster of women athletes, which consists of stellar sportswomen such as Mirabai Chanu, Lovlina Borgohain, Hima Das and Nikhat Zareen to name a few.
Speaking about the collaboration, Sunil Gupta, Senior Director, Brand Adidas, India, commented:
“We are thrilled to have Manika Batra as the newest member of the Adidas family. She is an inspiration to many young women who aspire to push limits and achieve seemingly unachievable goals. We will continue to drive the attitude, ‘Impossible Is Nothing’ through our athletes while celebrating women in the world of sports.”
On this new association with Adidas, Manika Batra said:
“Partnering with Adidas is an opportunity every sports person looks forward to. I am very excited and grateful for this to have come my way especially at a time when the brand is celebrating women through their ‘Impossible Is Nothing’ campaign. I hope with my sport and my association with Adidas, I can empower and encourage women to see possibilities irrespective of the challenges so that the nation can witness many more ‘golden girls’.”
The ace paddler has recently been in the news with regards to her legal issue with the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). Batra had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court following her non-selection in the Asian Championships team. The TTFI stated that Batra did not attend the national camp prior to the event which led to her non-selection.
The Delhi Court eventually looked into the matter and suspended the Executive Committee of the Table Tennis Federation of India and appointed an administrator for discharging the functions.
