Asian Para Games 2026: Bhavina Patel wins bronze in table tennis
NEW DELHI: Bhavina Patel added another medal to her impressive career by winning bronze in the women’s singles Class 4-5 table tennis event at the Asian Para Games 2026.The Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist lost 7-11, 5-11, 7-11 to China’s Zhang Bian in the semi-finals. The defeat ended her singles campaign, but Bhavina secured a bronze medal for India.Bhavina was earlier named India’s flag bearer for the Asian Para Games.
Bhavina Patel’s journey
Bhavina has been one of India’s leading para table tennis players. She made history at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020 by winning silver in the women’s singles event. It was India’s first-ever Paralympic medal in table tennis.Diagnosed with polio at a young age, Bhavina did not allow the condition to stop her from pursuing her sporting dreams. She began training seriously and won her first gold medal at the Para Table Tennis Nationals in Bengaluru in 2009.She went on to establish herself on the international stage, winning silver in doubles at the 2018 Asian Para Games and bronze in singles at the 2022 edition.Bhavina continued her success at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she won gold in women’s singles. She was selected for the 2016 Rio Paralympics but could not compete due to technical reasons. However, she remained focused on her goal and reached the biggest moment of her career at the Tokyo Paralympics.Bhavina has won more than 70 medals in ITTF ranking tournaments during her career.In the 2025-26 season, she won 25 medals across singles and doubles events. Her tally included 17 singles medals — 12 gold, two silver and three bronze — along with eight doubles medals, including three silver and five bronze.Apart from table tennis, Bhavina also works with the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
