All-time high! India won a record five bronze medals in the best para-table tennis show at the Asian Para Games

Ravi Baby Sahana and Prachi Pandey NEW DELHI: India produced its best-ever performance in para table tennis at the Asian Para Games, securing five bronze medals in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday, with Ravi Baby Sahana and Prachi Pandey creating history by becoming the country’s first players to win medals in the standing category at the continental showpiece.The five medals surpassed India’s previous best of two bronze medals from the last edition of the Games. Paralympic medalist Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel also finished short of the podium after losing in the women’s singles semi-finals, while Jehan Madan secured bronze in the category 1 men’s singles.The landmark performance underlined India’s growing presence in para table tennis, with medals going to both the standing and wheelchair categories.

Sahana, Prachi have broken a new level in the standing category

Tamil Nadu’s Sahana lost 8-11, 2-11, 4-11 to China’s Mao Jingdian, a five-time Paralympic gold medallist, in the Class 9 semi-finals.Prachi, who has a neurodegenerative disease, lost 9-11, 2-11, 8-11 to reigning Iraqi Paralympic champion Najlah Al-Dayyeni in the final Grade 6 match.Despite the defeats, both the Indians secured bronze medals and made history as the country’s first para table tennis players to reach the podium in the standing category at the Asian Para Games.Class 9 is for standing athletes with physical disabilities affecting the legs or playing arms, while Class 6 includes players with severe hand and leg disabilities.

Bhavina, Sonalben and Jehan contribute to India’s medal haul

Former Paralympic silver medalist Bhavina lost 7-11, 5-11, 7-11 to China’s eight-time Paralympic champion Zhang Bian in the semi-finals of the 4-5 bracket. The 39-year-old from Gujarat secured her second medal in a row at the Asian Para Games after winning silver in the doubles in 2018. She is also a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist.Sonalben, the doubles silver medalist at the 2018 Jakarta Games, lost 7-11, 5-11, 6-11 to defending champion Jiyu Yoon of South Korea in the Class 3 semifinals.Jehan won bronze in the Class 1 men’s singles by finishing fourth in the five-man field. He won one of his four matches while compatriot Sandeep Jangi finished last without a win.India’s haul of five bronzes marked a major milestone for the country’s para table tennis campaign, with the historic medals in the standings adding extra significance to its best showing at the Asian Para Games.