Aichi-Nagoya, October 2026 : India’s Bhavina Patel clinched the bronze medal in the women’s singles Class 4-5 table tennis event at the Asian Para Games after losing her semifinal against China’s eight-time Paralympic champion Zhang Bian on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Indian paddler went down 7-11, 5-11, 7-11 against Zhang, who secured her place in the final. Despite the defeat, Patel earned her second consecutive bronze medal at the continental para-sport competition.
Patel, a former Paralympic silver medallist from Gujarat, had won silver at the 2018 Asian Para Games. She is also a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and remains one of India’s prominent performers in para table tennis.
Zhang, 40, had claimed silver at the previous edition of the Asian Para Games and entered the semifinal as a formidable opponent, having won eight Paralympic titles during her career.
The women’s singles Class 4-5 category features wheelchair athletes with varying degrees of physical impairment, including conditions affecting their legs or lower limbs. Athletes in these classes generally retain substantial upper-body control, allowing them to compete while seated in wheelchairs.
Patel’s bronze adds to India’s medal tally at the continental event and underlines her consistency at the highest level of para table tennis. Her consecutive podium finishes reflect her continued competitiveness against Asia’s leading players.
2026 Asian Para Games Medal Tally (Top Nations)
Rank | Country / NPC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | China | 36 | 24 | 25 | 85 |
2 | Japan | 8 | 7 | 17 | 37 |
3 | Iran | 8 | 7 | 3 | 18 |
4 | South Korea | 7 | 3 | 9 | 19 |
5 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 14 | 10 | 30 |
6 | India | 5 | 8 | 10 | 23 |
7 | Kazakhstan | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 |
8 | Indonesia | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
9 | Thailand | 2 | 7 | 14 | 23 |
10 | Saudi Arabia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
