Asian Para Games: Bhavina Patel Clinches Bronze; Shuttlers Guarantee Medals
Bhavina Patel clinches bronze in table tennis as Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramdass secure badminton medals at the 2026 Asian Para Games.
India continues its impressive run at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Para table tennis star Bhavina Patel has added to the nation's glory by securing a bronze medal, while the para badminton duo of Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramdass have guaranteed themselves a spot on the podium.
Bhavina Patel Secures Table Tennis Bronze
The 2020 Paralympics silver medallist, Bhavina Patel, fought hard in the Women's Singles Class 4-5 semi-finals. Although she faced a tough challenge from China's Zhang Bian, Patel's journey ensured a podium finish for India. She eventually bowed out of the singles competition after a 3-0 defeat, with the sets ending 7-11, 5-11, and 7-11.
This bronze medal is a significant addition to India's campaign, bringing the total medal tally to 12. It also marks India's first medal of Day 2, following a stellar opening day where the contingent hauled in 11 medals.
Badminton Duo Storm into Semi-Finals
In the para badminton arena, the mixed SL3-SU5 pair of Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramdass have assured themselves of a medal. The Indian duo displayed absolute dominance in their quarterfinal clash against the Thai pair of Srinavakul Chanida and Teamarrom Siripong.
The match was a one-sided affair, with Bhagat and Ramdass cruising to a 21-15, 21-14 victory in straight games. The entire encounter lasted just 25 minutes, sending the Indian pair straight into the semi-finals.
Archery: Mixed Fortunes for India
The Indian para archery squad saw a strong showing in the elimination rounds, with several athletes advancing to the quarterfinals:
- Recurve Category: Harvinder Singh (Men's) and Bhawna (Women's) have successfully progressed.
- Compound Category: A clean sweep for the Indian compound archers as Sheetal Devi, Payal Nag, Toman Kumar, and Shyam Sunder Swami all secured their quarterfinal berths.
However, the day was not without its disappointments. India faced setbacks in the recurve category as Pooja was defeated 2-6 by Malaysia's Chi Hui Loh in the round of 16. Additionally, Vijay Sundi was eliminated following a tense shoot-off against an opponent from Chinese Taipei.
Athletics Setback
It was a tough outing for para-athlete Rakeshbhai Bhatt in the men's long jump T37/T38 event. Bhatt's campaign ended without a valid mark after he failed his first two attempts and subsequently skipped his remaining four jumps, resulting in a "no mark" (NM) finish.