India shine with 1st gold from wheel-chair paddlers

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The duo became the first Indians ever to win gold in the physically challenged table tennis category.

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After defeating home favourite Thailand, the team of Sonal Patel and Bhavina Patel won gold at the tournament. 

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Two physically challenged girls from the state have done the country proud after they got the tri-colour unfurling at the physically challenged ITTF Para Table Tennis Thailand Open 2013.
After defeating home favourite Thailand, the team of Sonal Patel and Bhavina Patel won gold at the tournament. The duo also created history for the country as never before had the Indian team won gold in the physically challenged table tennis category. Interestingly, Sonal and Bhavina also won a bronze and a silver medal respectively in the singles’ event.



The players’ participation was supported by Gaurav Patel, chairperson of the Agriculture Product Market Committee, Unjha.
Talking about their success, Bhavina said that she started playing Table Tennis (TT) five years ago.



“I had come to the Blind People’s Association to learn a computer course and eventually started learning TT as well. Soon I realised that I enjoyed the game and began participating in professional events,” said Bhavina, who has a world ranking of 16 in the ITTF Para Table Tennis Rating Audits Women class four. Her performance in the Bangkok event is expected to improve her rankings further.



“I plan to be in the top 10 and that will give me a shot at the Olympics and the Common Wealth games. I want to win a medal for the country in the Olympics,” added Bhavina, whose father runs a small shop in Mehsana.



She admits that being physically challenged, it took a lot of convincing to let her parents know that she was serious about a career in sports.



“They were initially skeptical but my victories have convinced them,” said the player, who manages her studies, sports career and a job. Sonal, too, had to convince her parents a lot before she was allowed to play the game.


 “My parents wanted me to get a job, but I convinced them that playing at international and national level would improve my chance of getting a job under the sports quota,” said Sonal, who has been playing TT for over five years now. Interestingly, both the girls believe that the ability to succeed is a product of the mind rather than the body.



“You have to condition your mind to be victorious. Then everything else will follow. Whether you are disabled or not does not matter,” said Bhavina.

Source : DNA , 17th August 2013