Indian table tennis star Manika Batra has appealed for assistance after encountering a delay in receiving her UK visa, casting doubt on her participation in the WTT Star Contender tournament scheduled to begin in London on October 20, 2025. Batra, a prominent athlete with medals from the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, voiced her concerns on Thursday, October 16, 2025, stating that she and three of her teammates are still awaiting updates on their visa applications.
Batra explained that she applied for the visa immediately after competing at the China Smash tournament, which took place from September 25 to October 5 in Beijing. She had planned to travel on October 17 to allow time for practice before the event; however, with no updates on her visa status, she is now scheduled to depart on the morning of October 19.
Expressing her frustration on X (formerly Twitter), Batra tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the British High Commission, seeking their intervention. "As of today, our applications are still under review. My first match is on 21st October," she wrote, also adding, "Disheartening to see other players already flying while we're stuck chasing updates instead of focusing on the tournament". She also mentioned her teammates Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Harmeet Desai, and Diya Chitale, who are facing similar delays.
This is not the first time Batra has faced issues affecting her participation in international tournaments. In July 2025, she was stranded at Mumbai airport due to a canceled flight, jeopardizing her attendance at the WTT Contender Buenos Aires. She had then sought help from the Prime Minister's Office and the Union Ministers for Civil Aviation and Sports.
Despite these challenges, Batra remains a formidable force in table tennis. She recently competed at the WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguaçu 2025 in Brazil, reaching the quarter-finals in both women's singles and doubles. In that tournament, she secured victories against higher-ranked players, including Kim Na-yeong from South Korea and fellow Indian Diya Chitale. She also made history at the Saudi Smash by becoming the first Indian singles player to reach the quarter-finals of a WTT Grand Smash event.
Batra's achievements include being a three-time Olympian and a Commonwealth Games gold medalist. She has expressed her ambition to win a medal at the Summer Games and draws inspiration from Kobe Bryant's "Mamba Mentality," which emphasizes relentless self-improvement and mental toughness.
Her absence from the WTT Star Contender in London would be a significant setback, as she has been a consistent performer in the WTT series, with quarterfinal appearances in several events. In June 2025, she had a disappointing outing at the WTT Star Contender Ljubljana, but she continues to strive for improvement and success on the international stage.
