AHMEDABAD: In the initial phase of her career, Bhavina and her fellow table-tennis player Sonal Patel faced problems in getting wheelchairs appropriate for the game.
Tejal Lakhia, the principal of the ITI at Blind People’s Association (BPA), said that such wheelchairs need to be agile and lighter compared to the standard ones. “While she’s using a foreign-made wheelchair now, the earlier wheelchairs for both the players were designed right at BPA based on the design details available,” she said. She also remembered the blessings given by the then CM Narendra Modi in 2009 to the girls after their selection for Commonwealth Games 2010.
Dinesh Bahl, coordinator at BPA, said that Sunil Parmar, the workshop designer at BPA, had made the wheelchairs which would otherwise cost lakhs of rupees. “The chairs need to be below the table-tennis table, but the height must be such that the chairs don’t touch the table,” he said. “Thus, a table was set up at one of the buildings based on international requirements.”
On Saturday, the entire BPA community erupted in joy when it became apparent that Bhavina would play the final on Sunday. The officials said that BPA managed to find donors and sponsors over the year so that both the players could participate in open challenges and improve their rankings.
Sonal will join Bhavina for the doubles competition soon and the duo is confident of winning in the category too.
“Hopefully Patel’s medal on Sunday will change society’s attitude towards para games and more funding and infrastructure will be available to the players,” said a para athlete from the city.
Congratulations Bhavina Patel! You played excellently. The entire nation is praying for your success and will be cheering for you... Give your best and play without any pressure. Your accomplishments inspire the entire nation.
PM Narendra Modi
Bhavina Patel from Mehsana has entered the finals in Tokyo Paralympics. Hearty congratulations for making the state along with the country proud. Many wishes from the entire Gujarat. All the best.
CM Vijay Rupani
