Bhavina Patel opens Asian Para Games campaign with straight-games win

Bhavina Patel, the Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist, opened her Asian Para Games campaign on Friday with a straight-games victory at the Asian Para Games, defeating Kuwait’s Ahad Alrasheedi in the women’s singles Class 4-5 Group A match. She won 3-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-6) to start her tournament run.

The result came in the women’s para table tennis competition, where Classes 4 and 5 are contested by wheelchair athletes with relatively greater functional ability than lower-numbered classes. Players in Classes 4 and 5 display differing levels of sitting balance, core stability and arm control, with Class 5 athletes generally possessing better functional ability than those in Class 4. The match was part of the group-stage schedule for the event.

Baby Sahana Ravi also began her campaign with a victory, beating Vietnam’s Thi Hoa Phuong Nguyen 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-4) in the women’s singles Class 9 Group B match. Class 9 is a standing category and includes athletes with mild physical impairments affecting their legs or playing arm, as well as those with severe impairments affecting their non-playing arm. Ravi’s win was described in reports as comfortable, launching her into the next phase of the group stage.

Shubham Wadhwa recorded a 3-0 success in his men’s singles Class 3 group match, defeating Nepal’s Keshav Thapa 11-6, 11-4, 11-9. The Indian produced a composed performance to close out the contest in straight games and register an opening victory. Class 3 is a wheelchair category for athletes with significant limitations in sitting balance and trunk control while generally having normal or near-normal arm and hand function.

Jehan Madan overcame compatriot Sandeep Dangi 3-1 (11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6) in their men’s singles Class 1 group match. Madan won the first two games, Dangi responded by taking the third, and Madan secured the fourth to complete the win and begin his campaign with a victory. Class 1 is the most severely impaired wheelchair category, with players exhibiting very limited sitting balance and substantial restrictions in the function of their playing arm; such limitations can arise from conditions mentioned in reports, including spinal cord injuries or polio.

The opening-day results provided a positive start for India’s para table tennis contingent at the Asian Para Games. Bhavina Patel, Baby Sahana Ravi, Shubham Wadhwa and Jehan Madan each registered wins in their respective group matches, launching India’s campaign in the group stage of the competition.