A week ago, there was uncertainty. Then, uncertainty turned to doubt. How long ago that must seem now. Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal Achanta, India's top-ranked woman and man, went to the World Table Tennis (WTT) Middle East Hub in Doha, Qatar with high hopes for glory, money and security. After three tries, their quest began to appear quixotic. The month, not to mention the the 2021 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) calendar, began with the WTT Contender, a big-money bonanza. It proved an inauspicious debut for the Indian duo, as Achanta lost in the round of 16, while Batra failed to qualify for the main draw. They did not have to wait long for a chance at redemption, which came in the form of the doubly lucrative WTT Star Contender. Frustratingly, the pair failed to capitalize on their second chances. Achanta again lost in the round of 16, while Batra was sent packing by champion-elect Mima Ito of Japan in the round of 32. After letting the big money events slip away, the duo set their sights on the next big prize on offer in the WTT Middle East Hub: invitations to this summer's Tokyo Olympics. At the World Singles Qualification Tournament, Achanta agonizingly lost in round of 16 yet again, upset by Niagol Stoyanov of Italy. Batra lost in semifinal of her qualifying group to top seed Yang Xiaoxin of Monaco. Thus, both Achanta and Batra needed help to get to Tokyo. Luckily, one last chance remained in the form of the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament (AOQT), the final event in the WTT Middle East Hub. In addition to another shot at qualifying in singles, the pair would also join forces in mixed doubles, making its Olympic debut this summer. The tournament format favored the pair, who represented the top seeds in the South Asia regional qualifiers. Despite losing in their respective singles finals, Achanta and Batra each secured Olympic qualification by dint of their world rankings. They then set out to end the tournament on a win in mixed doubles. Seeded second, they ultimately faced the top seeds Lee Sangsu and Jeon Jihee of South Korea. With only one Olympic berth available, the pressure was on both duos to perform. In the first two games, it was the Korean duo who appeared ready for the big time. Lee and Jeon could not maintain their lead, however, as Batra and Achanta tied it up. The pivotal fifth game went to deuce, and the Koreans wasted two game points before India's delegates seized the advantage. Momentum in hand, they completed the comeback, (8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 13-11, 11-8). "Manika was unstoppable today," gushed Achanta. "She was outstanding. I never thought we could win the tournament. Now we are three games from winning an Olympic medal." Batra was quick to return the credit to Achanta, saying her "bhaiya" (big brother) "...capitalized well with his attack to keep the pressure on them." Both Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal Achanta went to Doha with big question marks hovering over their summer plans. Now, thanks to their individual résumés and joint efforts, they can write the Tokyo Olympics on their calendars in pen.

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