- The Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist continued her winning campaign.
- India’s men’s team suffered a 6-1 defeat against hosts Japan.
- Taichi Hirabayashi scored a hat-trick as Japan registered its first victory of the tournament.
India endured mixed fortunes at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Saturday, as Paralympic medallist Bhavina Patel continued her impressive run in para table tennis while the men's blind football team suffered a 1-6 defeat against hosts Japan.
Bhavina registered a straight-game victory over Jordan's Faten Eleimat to top Group A in the women's singles Class 4-5 competition. However, India's blind football team struggled in the second half against Japan, conceding five goals in the final 20 minutes after the contest was level at the break.
The results offered contrasting outcomes for the Indian contingent, with Bhavina maintaining her winning momentum while the blind football team faced another setback in the tournament.
Bhavina Patel Continues Winning Run
Paralympics silver medallist Bhavina Patel continued her strong campaign with a dominant 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 victory over Jordan's Faten Eleimat in the women's singles Class 4-5 Group A match. Bhavina completed the contest in just 17 minutes to finish at the top of her group.
The Indian paddler's performance further strengthened her position as one of the key names in India's para table tennis campaign. Her composure and consistency helped her control the match from the beginning and secure a comfortable straight-game win.
Elsewhere, Sonalben Patel began her campaign in the women's singles Class 3 event with a 3-0 victory over Japan's Yuka Ikeyama but later suffered a 0-3 defeat against South Korea's Migyu Lee.
In the men's singles Class 3 competition, Shubham Wadhwa went down 0-3 to Saudi Arabia's Ibrahim AlHassan.
India also faced defeats in other categories. Ekta Bhyan lost 0-3 to Saudi Arabia's Maryam Almyrisl in the women's singles Class 1 event, while Jehan Madan suffered a 1-3 defeat against Saudi Arabia's Rakan Alsalmi. Dattaprasad Chougule was beaten 0-3 by Japan's Koyo Iwabuchi in the men's singles Class 9 group match.
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India Lose 1-6 To Japan In Blind Football
India's men's blind football team suffered a 1-6 defeat against Japan after a competitive first half gave way to a difficult second period.
Japan took the lead through Hirabayashi Taichi in the third minute, but Sovendra Singh found the net in the 16th minute to bring India level at 1-1 before half-time.
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However, the hosts raised their intensity after the break and took control of the contest. Kawamura Ryo scored in the 25th minute before Hirabayashi added three more goals in the 22nd, 32nd and 35th minutes. Hayashi Kent completed Japan's scoring with a goal in the 39th minute.
Hirabayashi's four-goal performance proved decisive as Japan capitalised on India's defensive struggles in the closing stages of the 40-minute match.
The defeat left India at the bottom of the eight-team standings without a point after two matches. India had opened their campaign with a 0-2 loss to South Korea on Friday.