Indian Para-Table Tennis squad at Paralympics 2024: Schedule, Medal Chances

Para-table tennis has an impressive history at the Paralympics, debuting at the very first edition of the Games in 1960 in Rome. 

From its initial focus on wheelchair athletes, it has evolved to include a diverse range of athletes with physical impairments, showcasing the power of inclusivity.

Currently, para-table tennis boasts over 40 million competitive players across more than 100 countries, making it the third-largest Paralympic sport in terms of number of participations.

China are the most successful country in para table tennis, and they have dominated the sport in the last six Paralympic games.

Following China closely, France, South Korea, Austria, and Germany produced some of the best para-paddlers in the world.

Table Tennis at Paralympics 2024

Table Tennis will be held at the South Paris Arena from August 29 and September 7 with 280 para-athletes from 48 delegations competing for the honours. 

The para-paddlers will participate in 31 events.

There will be two mixed doubles events, fifteen men's events (eleven singles and four doubles), and fourteen women's events (ten singles and four doubles).

For the first time since the 1976 Summer Paralympics, doubles competitions will be held during the Paralympic Games instead of team events.

Based on their types of impairment, para table tennis competitors are divided into 11 classes: wheelchair (classes 1-5), standing (classes 6-10), and intellectual impairment (class 11).

The greater the impact an athlete's affliction has on their ability to participate, the lower the number within the wheelchair and standing divisions.

Indian table tennis quad at the 2024 Paralympics

India will be represented by two women in the table tennis events at the 2024 Paralympics.

Though a smaller contingent, the players are strong contenders in their respective classes.

Bhavina Patel, currently World No. 4 in Class 4 and No. 8 overall in the women's wheelchair category, will be a key athlete to watch out for. 

Sonalben Patel, who clinched a bronze medal during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, will represent the country in the women’s individual WS-3 event.

Bhavina and Sonalben will also pair up to compete in the women’s double D10 event. They both have a combined ranking of six in the double’s category.

In a conversation with PTI, Bhavina said, ”Chinese players are humans and so are we. China does not matter to me, even during the Tokyo edition I had beaten a Chinese player so there's no pressure on me to face them.” “I have changed my tactics according to them so I will deploy my best plans against them on the day," she said.

Medal Chances

The Patel sisters have gotten a bye in the Round of 16s in the women’s doubles D10 category.

They will face the second-seeded Korean pair in the quarterfinals and are expected to face the fourth-seeded Chinese pairing in the semi-finals. If things go right, they could be seen facing the World No. 1 Chinese pair of Zhang and Zhou in the final. 

Coming to the women’s singles, the draws are not out yet and mostly Sonalben Patel will have to beat the reigning paralympic champion, Xue Juan of China, or South Koreans Lee Mi-Gyu and Yoon Ji-Yu, to get a chance to finish at the podium.

Even though Bhavina is ranked fourth in the world, she will tough challenge in her quest to win a medal. 

Tokyo Paralympics bronze medalist from China Gu Xiaodan, Rio 2016 gold medalist Borislava Perić-Ranković, Australia’s Daniela Di Toro, who’ll be competing in her eighth Paralympics, and lastly the reigning Paralympic champion Zhou Ying, are the big names who will look to make things difficult for Bhavina. 

Schedule

August 30:

02:30 PM: Women’s Double D10 Quarterfinal - India's Bhavina-Sonalben vs Korea's Jung-Moon

August 31:

01:30 PM: Women’s Double D10 Semifinals ( subject to qualification)

10:45 PM: Women’s Double D10 Finals ( subject to qualification)

Women’s Individual C3 & C4: September 1 to 7

( more details to be updated)

India’s History of the Para-Table Tennis in Paralympics

Table tennis has been a part of India's Paralympic journey since the early Games, with Muralikant Petkar notably competing in table tennis at the 1968 Paralympics.

India's first-ever Paralympic medal in para table tennis came at the Tokyo Games in 2021, where Bhavina Patel secured a historic silver in the Women's Singles C4 category.

Building on this success, India is looking to widen their achievements in the sport at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, with Bhavina leading the charge and aiming to upgrade her silver to gold.

While India may not have the same long-standing dominance in para-table tennis as countries like China, the recent successes hold promise for the country.