INDIA'S WOMEN PADDLERS EYE IMPROVEMENTS IN UTT

AT the Olympics, not all results, especially in the earlier rounds, are equal.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

The record books may say players advanced to their respective third-round matches before bowing out but such a generic statement can lack context.

It's why the performances of Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula, both of whom penned a slice of history by becoming the first paddlers from the country to feature in the pre-quarterfinals at the Summer Games, were, in its own way, path-breaking. Sure, they didn't win any medals but away from the glare, a glass ceiling was quietly shattered.

Push back the curtain a bit and their performances at the Olympics wasn't a one-off, merely a pit-stop in an upward curve. This year alone, all three of Manika, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sreeja three of the country's leading women's paddlers — have beaten three different Chinese paddlers, all ranked within the world's top five.

While Batra took down Wang Manyu, Mukherjee and Akula bested Sun Yingsha and Wang Yidi during the World Team Championships.