Ahead of her god medal match at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics on Sunday morning at 7:15 am, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conveyed the country’s support to Para table tennis player Bhavina Hasmukhbhai Patel from Mehsana, Gujarat, “for her success tomorrow” at the mega sporting event.
The Prime Minister also congratulated Bhavina Patel for her performance at the Paralympics in which she had earlier knocked out the world number 2 and Rio Paralympic Gold medalist Borislava Rankovic to reach the Semi Finals in the Women’s Singles Class 4 Category.
“Congratulations Bhavina Patel! You played excellently…The entire nation is praying for your success and will be cheering for you tomorrow. Give your best and play without any pressure. Your accomplishments inspire the entire nation,” PM Narendra Modi tweeted.
Congratulations Bhavina Patel! You played excellently.
The entire nation is praying for your success and will be cheering for you tomorrow. Give your best and play without any pressure. Your accomplishments inspire the entire nation. #Paralympics
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 28, 2021
Earlier, Bhavina had also beaten China’s Zhang Miao to reach the finals. She will be up against the current world number 2, Zhou Ying of China, at the gold medal clash tomorrow.
Patel, who plays table tennis in her wheelchair, has won a number of gold and silver medals in national and international competitions. She reached the ranking of World Number 2 by winning Silver Medal for India in The Individual Category at the PTT Thailand Table Tennis Championship held in 2011. In October 2013, Patel won the silver medal in the women’s singles Class 4 at the Asian Para table tennis championships in Beijing.
Bhavina won the bronze medal in International Table Tennis Federation Asian Para Table Tennis Championship organised from 23 to 31 August 2017 in Beijing, China. She played against Korean player Kang in the Women’s Singles Class 4 Category, and defeated her 3-0 to win the Bronze for India.