Tokyo 2020: Meet Bhavina Patel, first-ever Indian table tennis player to secure a Paralympics medal

Paddler Bhavina Patel created history when she assured India’s first medal at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics on Friday, by reaching the semi-final of the women’s singles Class 4 event after stunning the reigning champion.

The 34-year-old became the first-ever Indian table tennis player to earn a place on the podium at the Paralympic Games as she knocked out world No 2 Borislava Peric-Rankovic of Serbia in straight games.

There is no bronze medal playoff in table tennis at this edition and both semi-finalists are assured of a medal.

Competing in her maiden Paralympic Games, Patel, ranked 12 in the world, has had a terrific campaign in Tokyo where she has now beaten three players ranked higher than her. On the first day, in a tough match against the current world No 1 Zhou Ying she started with a 0-3 defeat in Group A.

But she bounced back and how. In the second group match on Thursday, she had beaten world No 9 Megan Shackleton in must-win group stage match in four games. The third game was a marathon battle. She prevailed in the match and sealed her progress to the knockout stage.

In the round of 16 on Friday, she notched up a strong win over Joyce de Oliveira of…

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