Gujarat Women at Para Games 2026: Five Athletes to Watch

Gujarat Women at Para Games 2026: Five Athletes to Watch

✍️ By Shri Pradeep Trivedi

English translation adapted from the original Gujarati article without changes to the content or experiences described by the author. 

Freelance Writer | Author | Sports Analyst | Lecturer | Sports Journalist

 

With courage, faith and hard work, these women have faced physical disabilities, overcome many struggles and reached great heights. The women of Gujarat are fighting hard to win on the sports field. They are making the nation proud and adding medals to their achievements.

Here, we are talking about the brave women of Gujarat who are taking part in the Fifth Para Asian Games. Despite their disabilities, these women are working hard, both physically and mentally, to achieve success.

A total of eight players from Gujarat are taking part in these Para Asian Games, including five women. Of these five women, two use wheelchairs, one has a visual disability, and the other two have disabilities affecting different parts of their bodies.

1. Bhavina Patel (Table Tennis)

Bhavina Patel is Gujarat’s first female Paralympic medallist in para table tennis. She is also the flag bearer for the Indian team at the Fifth Para Asian Games 2026.

Bhavina, who has received the Arjuna Award, developed polio when she was just 12 months old. At that time, her family could not afford proper treatment. As a result, she grew up with polio and lost movement in both legs. A few years later, her family tried to get her treated through surgery in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. However, the surgery did not help, and she had to use a wheelchair. Since a young age, the wheelchair has been an essential part of her life.

Bhavina was born in November 1986 in Sundhiya village, in Vadnagar taluka of Mehsana district. She completed her primary education at the village school.

Later, in 2004, her father, Hasmukhbhai, enrolled her at the Blind People’s Association in Ahmedabad to study computers. This decision became a major turning point in her life!

Perhaps it was God’s wish that she would become a star of para table tennis around the world. At the association, she met the well-known table tennis coach, Lalan Doshi. For the first time in her life, she held a table tennis racket. From that day onwards, she began winning many medals through her excellent performances in tournaments in India and abroad.

At the Tokyo Summer Paralympics 2020, she made history by winning a silver medal in the women’s singles Class 4 table tennis event. She also won a gold medal in the women’s singles Class 3-5 category at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, adding another golden chapter to her career.

At the Fifth Para Asian Games 2026, she will compete in three events: women’s singles Class 4-5, women’s doubles Class 5 with Ekta Bhayan, and mixed doubles Class 7 with Shubham Wadhwa.

Bhavina has already won a silver medal at the 2018 Para Asian Games in Jakarta and a bronze medal at the 2022 Para Asian Games in Hangzhou. Now, as she takes part in the Para Asian Games for the third time, her dream is to win a gold medal.

2. Sonal Patel (Table Tennis)

Sonal Patel will compete in women’s singles Class 3 table tennis at the Fifth Para Asian Games 2026. She has turned failure and rejection into steps towards success. She has won medals at the Asian and Commonwealth Games through her hard work and determination.

Sonal grew up in Viramgam, Gujarat. Her dream was to become a good teacher. However, when she went for a job interview, the selection panel saw her sitting in a wheelchair and rejected her straight away.

The only reason was that she used a wheelchair! The panel questioned how she would manage a classroom and how she would perform in front of children.

A few years later, Sonal answered these questions through her success in Class 3 women’s singles table tennis. She won medals and brought pride to Viramgam, Gujarat, India and Asia.

She faced many struggles and rejections but never gave up. She joined the Blind People’s Association in Ahmedabad to study at ITI, and this became another turning point in her life.

Here, she found two precious things that changed her life. First, she discovered table tennis, the sport that gave her worldwide recognition, respect and honour. Second, she met her life partner, Ramesh Chaudhary.

Ramesh was already a para table tennis player. He gave Sonal proper guidance and training. As their relationship grew through the sport, they got married. Ramesh supported her in every possible way, giving his time, effort and money to help her build her career and become an international player.

Sonal developed polio when she was only six months old. It affected both her legs and her right arm. As a result, she has a 90% disability and must use a wheelchair.

In 2022, she made history at the Egypt Para Open by winning two gold medals and one bronze medal.

Sonal has received the Eklavya Award. Now, she is eager to win a gold medal at the Fifth Para Asian Games. She won a silver medal at the 2018 Para Asian Games in Jakarta, and she now hopes to change the colour of her medal to gold.

3. Tejalben Damor (Athletics)

Tejalben will compete in the women’s 400-metre race in the T12 class at the Fifth Para Asian Games 2026. She stands for courage, strong will and determination, both on the athletics track and in life.

Tejalben won a gold medal in the women’s 400-metre T11/T12 event at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, with an excellent time of 57.53 seconds.

She is a 26-year-old visually impaired athlete from Amodra village in Vijaynagar taluka of Sabarkantha district. She belongs to the Bhil tribal community, which is among the most disadvantaged communities.

When she was just two years old, an unfortunate accident caused her to lose all sight in her left eye. However, despite losing her sight at such a young age, she never allowed her disability to become a barrier to her success.

She lost her eyesight, but she never lost the light within her!

With the support and guidance of Rameshbhai Damor, who is from her village, she first learnt to run while holding a rope. Her powerful legs and hard work then took her from Vijaynagar to the athletics tracks of Japan.

She competes in the T12 category because she has limited vision. In this category, athletes run alongside a guide or coach while holding a rope. This helps reduce the risk of falling.

Tejal enjoys eating maize rotla and urad dal. She also dreams of building a running track for blind children in Dahod.

4. Anjanaben Bumbadiya (Athletics)

At the Fifth Para Asian Games 2026, Anjanaben will compete in the women’s 200-metre and 400-metre races in the T47 class.

One of her arms has been shorter than normal since birth. She therefore competes in the category for athletes who have an impairment or loss of an upper limb.

In 2024, she won a silver medal in the 500-metre race at the National Para Athletics Championships held in Chennai. She recorded a time of 1 minute and 5.25 seconds, showing signs of a bright future.

She also performed well at the Indian Open Para Athletics Championships.

At the World Para Athletics Championships held in New Delhi in 2025, she recorded her personal best of 1 minute and 0.04 seconds in the 400-metre race.

Anjanaben is an emerging star in para athletics.

5. Nimisha Suresh (Athletics)

Nimisha will compete in the women’s long jump in the T47 category at the Fifth Para Asian Games 2026.

She is a 31-year-old para athlete from Kerala. However, as she is currently training in Gandhinagar, she has represented Gujarat.

At the Second Fazza International World Para Athletics Grand Prix held in Dubai in 2021, she won a gold medal in the T47 class with a long jump of 5.25 metres.

She also won a gold medal in the T47 long jump at the 2022 Para Asian Games in Hangzhou, with a jump of 5.15 metres.

People are once again hoping that she will win a gold medal at these Asian Games.

All these women athletes from Gujarat have faced many struggles and worked extremely hard to make a name for themselves. Their passion for sport gives us hope that they will win medals and bring pride to Gujarat and India.

Best wishes to all these women athletes for winning medals!

Acknowledgement:

Newz Daddy extends sincere thanks to Shri Pradeep Trivedi, author, sports analyst and journalist, for sharing his memorable Asian Games details. We also appreciate the photographs and personal experiences that have enriched this article.

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