Bhavina Patel rallied against odds to reach the final, but lost it to the Chinese legend Zhou Ying 0-3 to finish with a silver medal.
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Indian para-athlete Bhavina Patel created history when she won the silver medal in table tennis at the Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday. Patel lost the gold-medal deciding encounter against the current world number 1 and six-time gold medalist Zhou Ying of China. It was the first time that an Indian paddler had made it to a gold medal decider at the Paralympics and she admitted to being a bit nervous ahead of the tie. Her silver medal is the first that an Indian para-athlete has ever won in table tennis, making it a significant moment in Indian sporting history. She lost the match to Zhou 3-0.
Patel, 34, was diagnosed with polio when she was just 12 months old. Her life has been one of determination and fight, and she brought all of that fight to the Games in Tokyo. It was also her maiden Paralympics appearance in the women’s singles table tennis class 4. Things did not get off to a smooth start as she lost her opening match in the group stages against Zhou. However, she staged an incredible comeback and earned a well-deserved medal. She stunned Rio Paralympics gold medalist Borislava Peric-Rankovic of Serbia in the Round of 16 before ousting world no. 3, China’s Zhang Miao in the quarter-finals.
She might have lost in the final match. But that does not mean Patel did not script history. She became only the second female para-athlete from India to win a medal at the Paralympics. Patel also became the first Indian ever to win a medal in table tennis at the Games. Nobody had won it before her either in the Paralympics or in the Olympics. It truly was a magnificent feat and she deserves every bit of the plaudits coming her way.
“I became a little nervous, because of that, I was not able to give my 100 per cent. But I will try to rectify this in my next tournament. I always believe that an athlete never loses if he/she gives their 100 per cent,” Bhavina said speaking to Indian news organisation India Today.
“But today, because of nervousness, my performance was not up to the mark,” she added.
The para-athlete could have participated in the Rio Olympics in 2016 but despite getting selected, technical reasons kept her from travelling to Brazil. She had to wait five long years to get her next shot and she did not disappoint when she got it.
“I always keep in mind that I don’t get bogged down because of problems that come my way. I believe that if one door is shut on me, the almighty will open up several other doors of opportunities. Have learnt to see my problems in a positive light. It gives me the courage to work harder,” Bhavina said.
“I have learnt a lot from the Tokyo Paralympics, it’s been a great experience. Have learnt how much I have to work and where I have to work. I am sure in my next Olympics, I will give my 100 percent. Next, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are coming up. I will start training for them after going back. Whatever experience I have got from here, I will use it to do whatever I missed at the Paralympics at the upcoming major tournament,” she added.
