THE WINNING WAY

THEY DID THE COUNTRY PROUD AT THE TOKYO PARALYMPICS. NOT CONTENT TO REST ON THEIR LAURELS, THEY ARE ALREADY GEARING UP FOR THE 2024 PARIS PARALYMPICS. WE PRESENT TO YOU THE PARA-ATHLETES WHO HAVE OVERCOME THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGES TO KEEP SHINING BRIGHT.

- SHRADDHA KAMDAR

A SMASHING SUCCESS

From being affected by polio at 12 months to becoming the first Indian ever to win a table tennis medal at the Paralympics, paddler BHAVINA PATEL has come a long way. She speaks to us about her journey and her main goal in the future

Bhavina Patel was born in the village of Sundhiya in the Mehsana district of Gujarat in 1986. Affected by polio when she was only 12 months of age. Living life off a wheelchair since that young age. Turning para table tennis player in 2004. Winning her first national title at the Para Table Tennis Nationals in Bengaluru in 2007. Bagging her first gold medal in the singles games at the International Para Table Tennis Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2019. Scripting history at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 by winning a silver medal in Class 4 table tennis. That’s an extraordinary life.

The para table tennis player, who became the first-ever Indian paddler to win a medal at the Paralympics, says her singular goal has always been to go there and give it her best shot. “I wanted to become a Paralympian. I hadn’t imagined that I would reach the finals or win the silver! I just believed in one thing: if you give anything your best shot, you are bound to get a great result. And my silver medal is that result,” she beams. After qualifying and then being unable to play at the 2016 Rio Paralympics due to a technicality, Patel shone in Tokyo. On her way to the final, she beat world nos. 2, 3, 8 and 9; the quarterfinal with Borislava Peric-Rankovic of Serbia lasted only 18 minutes. She was bested by world no. 1 Zhou Ying of China in the final.