Nagoya: India’s Baby Sahana Ravi clinched historic bronze medal in para table tennis women’s singles Class 9 event, marking India’s first-ever medal in the standing category at the Asian Para Games.
She went down 0-3 to China’s Mao Jingdian in the women’s singles Class 9 semi-finals to secure a bronze medal.
Hailing from Hosur in Tamil Nadu, Sahana took up table tennis in 2014 while studying in Class 5. In 2015 she joined the Coronation Club under coach Raj Aravindan Alagar, her first coach, who nurtured her passion for the sport.
She discontinued regular schooling after Class 9 and continued her studies through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), training 6–8 hours a day.
Sahana made her senior multi-sport debut at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and finished 5th at the Asian Para Games 2022 in Hangzhou. In September 2022, she moved to the SDAT-AKG Table Tennis Development Centre in Chennai, where she trains under coach Muralidhar Rao, the former coach of Achanta Sharath Kamal.
She has since emerged as one of India’s most consistent Class 9 players, winning gold at the 2024 World Abilitysport Youth Games and the Youth Asian Para Games 2025 in Dubai.
Throughout her journey, she has drawn strength from her parents, who have wholeheartedly supported her dream of becoming a Paralympian.
Later, Prachi andey claimed the bronze medal in women’s singles Class 6 after she lost her semifinal to Egyptian Al-Dayyeni 0-3.
Earlier, India won two bronze medals in women’s singles table tennis, with Sonalben Patel and Bhavina Patel finishing on the podium in their respective classes.
In the women’s singles Class 3, Sonalben bagged bronze after losing her semi-final against South Korea’s Yoon Jiyu in straight sets, 7-11, 5-11, 6-11.
Meanwhile, Paralympic medallist Bhavina Patel claimed bronze in the Women’s Singles Class 4-5. She went down to China’s Zhang Bian in the semi-final, with the score reading 7-11, 5-11, 7-11.
(IANS)
