Tokyo Paralympics: Bhavina Patel has made us proud, we will give a grand welcome, says her father

By ANI

MEHSANA: India’s Bhavina Patel might have lost the Tokyo Paralympics finals but her father Hasmukhbhai has said the para table tennis player has made everyone proud.

Bhavina won silver on Sunday after losing the gold medal match to China’s Zhou Ying 3-0 in the women’s singles – Class 4 here at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium — Table 6.

Friends, neighbours, and family members of Bhavina in Mehsana celebrated with sweets after she won the silver medal.

Bhavina’s father said the family will organise a grand welcome upon her return to India.

“She has made us proud, we will give her a grand welcome on her return. We will celebrate as she won a silver medal in the Tokyo Paralympics,” Hasmukhbhai told ANI.

World number one Zhou Ying overwhelmed Bhavina Patel in straight sets by 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6) in just 19 minutes. With this silver medal Bhavina became the first medal winner for India in this edition of the Games.

Zhou Ying has now become one of the most decorated para-paddlers in China. The 32-year-old is now 6 time Paralympic gold medalist.

She won two medals in each of the singles and team events during the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic campaigns and now one in Tokyo 2020.

Although she missed out on the podium in singles at the 2016 Rio games, she managed to get to glory in the team event.

The Chinese paddler is also a 6-time World Championship medalist. Her medals include 1 silver and 5 gold medals. She is one of the best paddlers in Asia, having won 14 Asian Championship medals and 5 Asian Games gold medals.