By Sanjay Chakhaiyar
It was historic moment for the Indian table tennis fraternity and in particular Gujarat when Bhavina Patel became the first player to reach the final of this sport at the Paralympics in Tokyo.
It is a major achievement for the Ahmedabad-based paddler who has kept the Indian Tricolour flying and is just a step away from the top-podium finish
The 34-year-old from Mehsana won 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8 in 34 minutes. She will take on world No. 1 Ying Zhou from China, a two-time gold medal winner, in the summit clash on Sunday.
"A big congratulations to Bhavina on her historic win," said an ecstatic Gujarat State Table Tennis Association (GSTTA) president Vipul Mittra.
"She has not only made us proud, but also showed tremendous grit and determination with her display. GSTTA wishes her all the best for the final and I am sure she will be at her best for the title match. We will consider helping her get a job in a Public Sector undertaking, if she so desires,'' added Mittra.
After losing the opening game, the Ahmedabad paddler came back strongly in the second only to lose the next to Zhang, who showed her supremacy and class. But the determined Indian began aggressively with clean returns and effective backhands to lead comfortably. She grabbed her chances when Zhang committed unforced errors at crucial junctures, making an easy passage into the final.
"I am happy my struggles have paid off so far," she said in statement issued to the Table Tennis Federation Of India (TTFI). "But I will go all out in the final tomorrow to change the colour of my medal," she added, with prayers on her lips. Bhavina's coach Lallan Doshi said that she was an extremely talented and a hard-working player. "Bhavina is very disciplined and focused. She is the kind of player who has to be taught just once and she remembers it forever. She has a superb control, placement, pattern variation, reflexes, quick response, servicing and receiving. The experience, knowledge and passion of bringing every point will help her to win the final at Tokyo," said Doshi.
Key events in Paralympics today
6.55am: Archery: Women's Ind. Compound - Open 1/16 Elimination: Jyoti vs Kerrie-Louise Leonard (IRL)
7.15am: TT: Women's Singles - Class 4 Gold Medal Match: Bhavina Patel vs Ying Zhou
9.00am: Archery: Mixed Team Compound - Open 1/8 Elimination: India vs Thailand
3.54pm: Athletics: Men's Discuss Throw - F52 Final: Vinod Kumar
3.58pm: Athletics: Men's High Jump - T47 Final: Nishad Kumar, Ram Pal