Ravi Baby Sahana and Prachi Pandey Win Historic Asian Para TT Medals
Historic Podium Breakthroughs in Standing Para Table Tennis
Indian para paddlers Ravi Baby Sahana and Prachi Pandey created sporting history by securing India's first continental podium finishes in the standing classification at the Asian Para Games. The national contingent accumulated four bronze medals across fiercely contested women's singles semifinals on Tuesday. The milestone performance eclipsed India's prior para table tennis performance from the previous edition, where the country collected two bronze medals. National sports commentators underscored the historic significance of Sahana and Prachi establishing India's initial medal presence in standing divisions. All four Indian semifinalists confronted celebrated Paralympic champions and multiple-time international gold medalists during their respective medal rounds.
In September 2023, Prachi Pandey began training at the NCoE, where facilities include a physiotherapist, psychologist, and nutritionist.
During September 2022, Sahana entered the SDAT-AKG Table Tennis Development Center in Chennai to train under Murlidhar Rao.
The athlete stepped into senior multi-sport competition at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 before securing fifth place at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
Individual Semifinal Contests in Class Nine and Class Six
Tamil Nadu athlete Ravi Baby Sahana suffered an 8-11, 2-11, 4-11 defeat against five-time Chinese Paralympic champion Mao Jingdian in the Class 9 semifinal. Para sports regulations designate Class 9 as a standing category for competitive athletes presenting mild physical impairments affecting their legs or playing arms. Prachi Pandey, who manages a neurodegenerative physical condition, fought valiantly before falling 9-11, 2-11, 8-11 to reigning Iraqi Paralympic gold medalist Najlah Al-Dayyeni. The Class 6 competition classification accommodates standing table tennis competitors exhibiting severe functional impairments across both arms and legs. Both debutante medalists demonstrated exceptional tactical resilience while competing against world-ranked adversaries on the international stage.
Prachi Pandey stated that being a Class 6 category player her movements are restricted, dictating a defensive approach using a Carbon ply racket with short pimple in the forehand and long pimple in the back hand.
Veteran Wheelchair Campaigns by Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel
Tokyo Paralympic silver medalist Bhavina Patel succumbed 7-11, 5-11, 7-11 to eight-time Chinese Paralympic gold winner Zhang Bian in the Class 4-5 semifinal. The 39-year-old Gujarat athlete successfully secured her second consecutive bronze medal at the Asian Para Games following her previous silver finish in 2018. Wheelchair classification Class 4-5 is reserved for para athletes possessing complete upper torso control who compete seated due to lower limb disabilities. Fellow Gujarat veteran Sonalben Patel fell 7-11, 5-11, 6-11 to defending champion and South Korean Paralympic medalist Jiyu Yoon in the Class 3 semifinal. Sonalben Patel previously represented India with distinction at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games, where she captured a doubles silver medal.
Record Medal Haul and Structural Classification Frameworks
The Class 3 sports grouping encompasses wheelchair competitors exhibiting limited core stability and impaired sitting balance alongside intact arm and hand mechanics. Securing four individual medals represents India's most successful international para table tennis campaign at the Asian continental level. The diversified medal distribution across standing and wheelchair categories confirms expanding athletic depth within the national Paralympic sports ecosystem. Indian para sports federations lauded the four female paddlers for demonstrating world-class competitiveness against elite global opponents in Nagoya. The four bronze medals underscore substantial technological and coaching advancements supporting Indian para athletes across diverse physical classifications.