Bhavina Patel’s Journey Ends in Paris as India Sets New Paralympics Medal Record
Bhavina Patel’s journey in the Paris Paralympics came to an end after she was knocked out in the women’s singles table tennis WS class 4 Quarter Finals. Patel, who won a silver medal in Tokyo three years ago, lost to China’s Ying Zhou with a scoreline of 1-3 (12-14, 9-11, 11-8, 6-11).
Despite Patel’s exit, India has made history in Paris by surpassing its highest medal tally of 19 from the Tokyo Paralympics. The Indian contingent has already won 21 medals and has the opportunity to further extend this record. On Monday and Tuesday alone, India won 13 medals, bringing the total to 20, including three gold, seven silver, and ten bronze medals.
In the Tokyo edition, held from August 24 to September 5, 2021, India recorded its best-ever medal haul with 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver, and six bronze. This year, India has seen double podium finishes in athletics. Mariyappan won a bronze medal with a leap of 1.85m in the men’s high jump T6 final, while Sharad Kumar bagged a silver with a leap of 1.88m. In javelin, Ajeet secured a silver with a personal best throw of 65.62m, and Sundar won bronze with a season-best throw of 64.96m. Cuba’s Guillermo took the gold with a throw of 66.14m.
India has sent its largest-ever Paralympics contingent to Paris, comprising 84 athletes across 12 sports. This marks a significant increase in both participation and medal hopes, reflecting the country’s growing para-sports ecosystem.
Doubts Revealed
Bhavina Patel -: Bhavina Patel is an Indian para table tennis player who competes in international events. She has represented India in the Paralympics.
Paris Paralympics -: The Paris Paralympics is a major international sports event for athletes with disabilities, held in Paris, France. It features various sports competitions similar to the Olympics.
WS class 4 -: WS class 4 is a classification in para table tennis for athletes with physical impairments. It helps ensure fair competition by grouping athletes with similar levels of ability.
Ying Zhou -: Ying Zhou is a para table tennis player from China. She competes in international events and has faced Bhavina Patel in the Paralympics.
Tokyo -: Tokyo is the capital city of Japan. The previous Paralympics before Paris were held in Tokyo in 2021.
Mariyappan -: Mariyappan Thangavelu is an Indian para high jumper who has won medals in the Paralympics. He is known for his achievements in high jump events.
Sharad Kumar -: Sharad Kumar is an Indian para high jumper who competes in international events. He has won medals in the Paralympics.
Ajeet -: Ajeet Singh is an Indian para javelin thrower who competes in international events. He has won medals in the Paralympics.
Sundar -: Sundar Singh Gurjar is an Indian para javelin thrower who has won medals in the Paralympics. He competes in international events.
contingent -: A contingent is a group of people representing a country or organization at an event. In this case, it refers to the 84 athletes India sent to the Paris Paralympics.
para-sports ecosystem -: The para-sports ecosystem includes all the support systems, organizations, and activities that help athletes with disabilities to train, compete, and succeed in sports.
