India’s star paddler Bhavina Patel created history as she clinched the silver medal in her maiden Paralympic Games and opened the account for India at the Tokyo Paralympics Games. Bhavina Patel lost 0-3 to World No.1, two-time gold medalist Ying Zhou of China in the women’s singles gold medal match on Sunday. Bhavina had lost to Ying in her opening match at the Games and had not won against Ying Zhou in her last eight matches, and in the final, the Indian fell short yet again.
Bhavina Patel is the first table tennis player ever to win a medal at the Paralympics for India. She also becomes only the second women para-athlete to finish at the podium after Deepa Malik’s claimed silver at the Women’s Shot Put F53 in Rio 2016. This is India’s fifth silver at the Paralympic Games.
Road to Final
Earlier in the semifinals, Bhavina defeated World No.3 and Rio silver medalist, Miao Zhang of China. In the quarterfinals, Bhavina stunned world number 2 and Rio Paralympic Gold medalist Borislava Rankovic in the semi-Finals. She defeated the defending champion in straight sets by 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 in just 18 minutes. In the round of 16, Bhavina got the better of Joyce de Oliveira of Brazil 12-10 13-11, 11-6. She became the first Indian table tennis player to reach the quarterfinals in the Paralympics.
Bhavina Patel reached the World No.2 ranking in 2011
Bhavina made her international debut in 2009 at Jordan. She reached the world number two ranking in 2011. She clinched a silver medal for India in PTT Thailand Table Tennis Championship. In October 2013, Patel won another silver in the women’s singles Class 4 at the APTTC in Beijing. Then, she won the bronze medal in International Table Tennis Federation Asian Para Table Tennis Championship in 2017.
