Aichi-Nagoya, 20 October (H.S.): Indian para-table tennis player Baby Sahana Ravi created history at the 2026 Asian Para Games by winning the bronze medal in the women’s singles Class 9 event. The Khelo India athlete became the first Indian to win a medal in the standing categories of para table tennis at the Asian Para Games. Her achievement took India’s para table tennis medal tally at the competition to three, following the bronze medals won by Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel earlier on Tuesday.

In the semifinal played on Tuesday, Sahana lost 0-3 to China’s experienced and internationally decorated player Mao Jingdian. Mao won the match 11-8, 11-2, 11-4. Despite the defeat, Sahana secured the bronze medal for her performance in reaching the semifinals.

Hailing from Hosur in Tamil Nadu, Sahana began playing table tennis in 2014, while studying in Class 5. In 2015, she started training under her initial coach, Raj Aravindan Alagar. To devote herself fully to the sport, she discontinued regular schooling after Class 9 and continued her education through the National Institute of Open Schooling, allowing her to focus on training.

In 2022, Sahana made her debut at a senior multi-sport event at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Later that year, she finished fifth at the Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou. In September 2022, she joined the SDAT-AKG Table Tennis Development Centre in Chennai, where she has been training under Muralidhar Rao, a former coach of Indian table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal.

Sahana won gold in the women’s singles Class 9 event and silver in mixed doubles at the 2024 World Abilitysport Youth Games. She continued her success at the 2025 Youth Asian Para Games, winning gold in the women’s singles under-23 Class 9 event and silver in the under-23 mixed doubles Class 20 event.

Sahana’s bronze medal at the Asian Para Games represents a significant milestone for Indian para table tennis. At the previous edition of the competition, India had won two bronze medals in the sport. Her achievement this year has added another notable chapter to India’s campaign.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar