Sahana Ravi
The 22-year-old from Tamil Nadu was determined to show that she could achieve just as much as anyone else and her bronze medal (class 9 category) at the Asian Para Games is a significant milestone in that journey. But after taking up the sport seriously in 2015, at the age of 11, she won gold in 2016 at a national event and that is when she decided to take para TT as a career. CHENNAI: Baby Sahana Ravi did not take up para table tennis in pursuit of medals or rewards. She wanted to prove a point. As a young basketball she was teased by her able-bodied peers for the way she walked and for leading her team in school. Her journey over the past decade has not been without struggles, with her parents having to pledge their jewellery and sell property to support her sporting career. Initially, Sahana did not know that para table tennis existed.
“I decided to quit normal schooling during Grade 9 so as to focus completely on training. 9, said. TN paddler Madan adds another bronze: Former national racing champion JD Madan from TN clinched bronze in table tennis class 1 wheelchair category after finishing fourth (out of five athletes) with one win and three loses. In 2007, an accident left Madan paralysed. But 14 years later, he discovered a love for table tennis and the 48-year-old has been making steady progress since then.
After long arguments with my parents, I decided to study at National Institute of Open Schooling,” Sahana, ranked world No.