India’s para table tennis team has added four bronze medals to its Para Asian Games 2026 campaign, but the day’s result means more than a place on the podium. Baby Sahana Ravi and Prachi Pandey became the first Indian para table tennis players to win medals in the standing category at the Games, opening a new chapter for the country. Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel also reached the women’s singles semi-finals and secured bronze, giving India four medals despite four last-four defeats in Nagoya, Japan.

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Para Asian Games 2026: Four medals, four different challenges

All four Indians secured bronze by reaching the semi-finals of their women’s singles events. In para table tennis, losing at this stage still brings a bronze. The results also lifted India’s medal count above its two-bronze return at the previous edition. For Sahana and Pandey, the significance went beyond the tally. Their results marked India’s first podium finishes in the standing classes at the Para Asian Games 2026.

Para Asian Games 2026: Sahana and Prachi make history

Tamil Nadu’s Baby Sahana Ravi faced China’s Mao Jingdian, a five-time Paralympic gold medallist, in the Class 9 semi-final. Sahana lost 8-11, 2-11, 4-11, but her bronze was a first for India in the standing category at this competition. Prachi Pandey, who competes in Class 6 and has a neuro-degenerative disease, faced Iraq’s Najlah Al-Dayyeni, the reigning Paralympic champion. Pandey lost 9-11, 2-11, 8-11.

Para Asian Games 2026: Bhavina and Sonalben add to India’s tally

Bhavina Patel, the Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist, met China’s Zhang Bian in the Class 4-5 semi-final. Zhang, an eight-time Paralympic champion, won 11-7, 11-5, 11-7. Bhavina’s bronze was her second consecutive medal at the Asian Para Games. Sonalben Patel faced South Korea’s Jiyu Yoon in the Class 3 semi-final. Yoon, the defending champion and a three-time Paralympic medallist, won 11-7, 11-5, 11-6. Sonalben had claimed a doubles silver at the 2018 Jakarta Games, and this result added another medal to India’s haul.

Para Asian Games 2026: What the result means for India?

The Para Asian Games 2026 medals underline the range of experience within India’s team. Bhavina and Sonalben brought major-event experience, while Sahana and Pandey delivered a breakthrough in standing classes. The semi-finals showed the level of opposition Indian players faced. There is no need to dress up four defeats as victories. The players fell short of the final, and each match ended in straight games. Yet India leaves the table tennis events with four bronzes and a meaningful first.

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For Sahana and Pandey, this is a result they can carry into future competitions. The Para Asian Games 2026 have given them a place in the record books, while India’s table tennis return has doubled its previous bronze tally. The next task is to turn this breakthrough into a stronger challenge against Asia’s leading players. The format rewards reaching the last four, but the performances still expose the gap between a medal and a place in the final. For India, the standing-category breakthroughs are a positive from a demanding day of competition at this level.

Editor - Neha

Neha is the Co-Director & Editor at sportselite.in, drawn to the stories that give Sports their energy beyond the scoreboard. She brings clarity, context, and a human perspective to coverage across Elite Sports, from standout performances to shifting team dynamics and memorable contests. At sportselite.in, Neha helps turn complex sporting developments into engaging stories, keeping readers connected to the people and moments behind the action.

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