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India are top favorites to win numerous medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics specially in the para table tennis sport. Last time out, India's total medal tally was 19, which included five gold, eight silver and six bronze medals.
Compared to the Rio Paralympics where India won only four medals, the achievement in Tokyo was considered a major jump. The athletes are expected to up the number and bring more than 25 medals this time out.
The first Paralympic Games was held in Rome in 1960 and para table tennis has been a part of it ever since. But back at that time, only wheelchair athletes were allowed to take part. Since 1976, when the Games took place in Toronto, more athletes with special abilities have taken the court to showcase their prowess in the sport.
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India has sent two of its top para table tennis players in the form of Sonalben Patel and Bhavina Patel. Notably, Sonalben is a former bronze medal winner at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Bhavina a gold medalist at the aforementioned event and a silver medal winner from the Tokyo edition of the Paralympics.
Bhavina is also the sole Indian para table tennis athlete to achieve a podium finish at the Paralympic Games. This time out, both Bhavina and Sonalben will be ambitious to elevate the overall tally India has been enjoying in para table tennis.
Today with reference to Sonalben Patel and Bhavina Patel, we will explain the categores or classes in para table tennis.
What are the different categories?
Categories in table tennis are divided as per the impairments the athletes have. The impairments which are eligible for participation are physical disabilities (wheelchair or standing) and intellectual impairments.
There are a total of 11 classes. TT1 to TT5 are wheelchair classes, with 1 being the greatest form of impairment and 5 being the mildest. TT6 to TT10 are standing classes, with 6 being the greatest and 10 the mildest. Lastly, the TT11 class is dedicated to the athletes with intellectual impairments.
Sonalben Patel and Bhavina Patel will both participate in the wheelchair category of para table tennis at the Paris Paralympics.
