Forget glass ceilings, Manika Batra smashes them for breakfast! This 29-year-old Delhi dynamo isn’t just India’s table tennis icon, she’s a powerhouse redefining the sport for women. Ranked a career-high 24th in the world, she’s the first Indian woman to crack the top 25 singles ranking – a feat that echoes on the international stage.

Batra isn’t just a singles superstar. She spearheaded the historic qualification of the Indian Women’s Table Tennis team for the Paris Olympics! This is a first for Indian table tennis, and a testament to Batra’s leadership and skill.

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But her story starts long before rankings and records. Batra hails from a tall family – her parents towering over her at 5’11” and 5’6″ respectively. Maybe it was in their genes, or maybe it was picking up a paddle at the tender age of four, but table tennis became her destiny. And her mother Sushma was there all along to support it. As the youngest of three, Batra was always pampered. But her mother, saw the spark of determination early on. That fighting spirit, combined with Manika’s unwavering focus, helped her overcome numerous obstacles.

Turning down modelling offers in her teens and even a prestigious Swedish training scholarship, Batra chose the path less travelled. Leaving college to dedicate herself to table tennis, she faced criticism and even controversy along the way. But like a champion, she swatted negativity aside.

From her early days as a silver medalist at the Chile Open under-21 category, she has consistently outshone her peers. Her journey to the Commonwealth Games podium in 2014 marked a significant milestone, but it was her historic gold medal win in the 2018 Games that truly catapulted her into the global spotlight. Defeating the invincible Singaporean team, a feat previously deemed impossible, cemented her status as a table tennis icon. The Tokyo Olympics 2021 saw her create history once again by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the round of 32 in singles, setting the stage for even greater triumphs in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Adorned with the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award in 2020, India’s highest sporting honor, Batra is hungry for more.

On July 27th, she’ll be facing Great Britain’s Anna Hursey in the opening round of the Paris Olympics. With her powerful forehand and unshakeable focus, Manika Batra, the table tennis tigress, is ready to roar for Paris and etch her name even deeper in sporting history!

With 358k adoring fans on Instagram and a string of endorsements, Batra is not just a champion athlete, but a role model for aspiring sportswomen. Her dedication to fitness and her infectious positivity are an inspiration to all. Now here’s hoping she can bring home a medal to add to her wins!

Ayesha Billimoria, a renowned athlete, is not just a passionate author but also a dedicated coach at Adidas Runners Family in Mumbai, where she imparts her knowledge of running biomechanics.

Ayesha founded FitGirl India in 2016, a project wherein she conducts sports education programs for young girls. Her aim is to develop sports through Olympic values, physical literacy, and athlete development. Project Fitgirl is now in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, teaching girls in government schools in both rural and urban areas.

Achievements 

Ayesha Billimoria has a string of remarkable achievements in her career. She has been the 3-time nationwide champion in the 200 meters dash, representing Maharashtra for the past 17 years. She was hailed as the ‘Quickest Lady of India’ in her teenage years. Her accolades are numerous, and she has also been a former captain of the Adidas Runners Mumbai crew, participating in various national and international tournaments.

Author

“Run” is a book written by Ayesha Billimoria. It is a culmination of everything she has learned and experienced all these years as a runner. The book is primarily dedicated to running, and is a must-read for anyone who loves to run.

This book has Ayesha’s tips, answers to various possible questions, and first-hand experiences of people who transformed their lifestyles with their passion for running. This book is the ultimate guide for a runner to train him/her mentally as well as physically.

Beyond Sports 

Apart from her accomplishments in sports, Ayesha has a diverse portfolio. She has been a TEDx Speaker and a keynote speaker at the World Zoroastrian Congress. She believes in gender equality and is actively involved in environmental enhancements. 
Being an athlete, she also represents herself as a content creator who advocates fitness. Her content aims to educate and create awareness regarding regular exercise and the numerous benefits of an active life.

Creating a fitter and healthier India, Fitgirl India founder Ayesha Billimoria is on a mission to transform each individual into a fit and happy person. 

Gaming has long surpassed the confinement to offline play; the rise of online gaming has introduced a vast world of esports to gaming enthusiasts. Esports athletes, the new generation of gamers, thrive in this digital arena, streaming popular games such as BGMI, Free Fire, Fortnite, Valorant, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and more. According to the global esports market report, the market was valued at $1.98 billion in 2023. With a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.9%, it is expected to reach $2.39 billion by the end of 2024 and an impressive $10.9 billion by 2032.

Top Indian Esports Teams: 

Orangutan 

Orangutan has played a big role in the development of gaming culture in India. It is a professional esports organization that provides esports athletes with a platform to play for this organization at the highest level of competition with international standards. Orangutan’s motive is to bring opportunities to gamers in India. It is formed by a collective of passionate gamers and dreamers. It is an Esports organization that is headquartered in Mumbai. 

Orangutan is generally involved in 4 prominent games: BGMI, Free Fire, Valorant, and Pokemon Unite. The BGMI players are Akop, Ash, Believe, Whizzgod, and Vedzz. For the game Valorant, they also have a women’s squad of EMI, Erruma, Gunner, Twirly, and Casper. 

Team XSpark

Team XSpark is an esports organization located in Mumbai. BGMI is the core of XSpark, with team player and streamer Tanmay’ ScoutOP’ Singh. Urvesh and Axbak manage the team, and Akshuna Bishnoi is the Coach. The main line-up of the XSpark BGMI team is Shubham Ranjan Sahoo (NinjaJOD), Tushar Das (GamlaBoy), Harsh Malik (SPRAYGOD), Sarangajyoti Deka (Sarang), and Tanmay Singh (Sc0utOP). 

Sc0utOP (Tanmay Singh) is the team leader of XSpark Battlegrounds Mobile India. 

Blind Esports

Blind Esports is an Indian organization with rosters in various esports games, such as Free Fire, Clash of Clans, Call of Duty (COD) Mobile, and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI). It is co-owned by Sharath B and Arjun “Satan” Suresh. In 2023, it was incredibly successful in BGMI. Later, it acquired the ex-Global Esports BGMI roster. The team has currently signed the ex-Team iNsane roster for the 2024 season. 

It revealed a program named Blind Elevate that would support upcoming creators.

Blind Esports has been one of the most consistent teams in BGMI in various events and tournaments. The team earned second place on the AFK Gaming BGMI Team Rankings.

Velocity gaming

Velocity Gaming, popularly abbreviated as VLT, was formed in 2017. Manoj “SENTINEL” Kasyap registered as an Indian esports organization in 2019. 

The organization initially involved itself in Rainbow Six Siege. Later, Velocity Gaming invested in the Indian esports scene by supporting players of various games, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and PUBG Mobile.

Swayambika Sachar as Sawy joined VLT as a streamer this year (2024).

Velocity Gaming acquires the roster of Ex-Grayfox Esports, consisting (Venkatesh Sharma) venka from India, and (Willy Ivandra) sayoo from Indonesia currently, the active roasters. 

Revenant esports

Revenant is Asia’s fastest-growing Esports organization. Home to highly talented competitors in Valorant, Battlegrounds Mobile India, Pokémon Unite, Brawl Stars, Call of Duty Mobile and CS:GO.

Their roasters include Paradox (Kasif Khwaja Sayyed), SkRossi (Ganesh Gangadhar), SkillZ (Jayant Ramesh), Dost9 (Dastan Zhumagali) and Tricky (Prish Valvani).

The Indian gaming industry has been growing in leaps and bounds in recent years. With the establishment of such esports teams and other initiatives, gamers in India have a hopeful road ahead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently met with top Indian gamers, including SkRossi, aka Ganesh Gangadhar, to discuss the gaming industry’s future. 

Follow these top Esports teams to learn more about the gaming industry.