For the Indian table tennis fraternity, world-level tournaments have never been easy. Things were very different this time.
The Indian women table tennis team lifted their game by several notches and won gold in the second division of the World Table Tennis Championship for the first time in 12 years.
Manika Batra leading from the front showcased her vintage form yet again as India defeated Luxembourg 3-1 in the final here in Kuala Lumpur.
India pinned their hopes on the most experienced Mouma Das who continued to prove that she is the country's numero uno star in the discipline.
Along with Manika and Mouma, Kumaresan Shamini was responsible for the fantastic show by the Indian women paddlers.
West Bengal's Mouma Das put India into the lead by brushing aside Danielle Konsbruck 11-1, 11-4, 13-11 while Delhi's Manika Batra made it 2-0 with a convincing win over Tessy Gonderinger 11-6, 11-2, 9-11, 13-11.
Kumaresan Shamini lost the third singles against Sarah De Nutte 4-11, 9-11, 9-11 but India's No. 1 paddler Manika Batra sealed things off with her experience against Konsbruck 11-5, 11-4, 11-8.
Earlier, both the men’s team and the women’s team secured promotion to the Championship Division.
What lies ahead?
Mouma Das, even though 32 years old, is in the twilight of her career; one wonders if her goal is to put up a spirited performance in the 2016 Rio Olympics and then depart the scene in a graceful fashion.
Conversely, 20-year-old Manika will no doubt be on duty at Rio and in the 2018 World Table Tennis Championships.
With a staggering bench strength, this team can be a strong contender to Chinese dominance in the days to come. Only time will tell but signs are positive.
The Indian Men’s team also sealed the gold, after a hard-fought 3-2 win over Brazil in the final.
