Asian Para Games 2026: Sonalben Patel, Prachi Pandey assure India medals in table tennis

FILE PHOTO: Sonalben Patel advanced to the Asian Para Games 2026 women’s singles C3 category knockout round after finishing second in Group B with two wins and a loss. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Indian paddler Sonalben Patel assured herself a medal at the Asian Para Games 2026 by reaching the semifinal of the women’s singles C3 category on Monday.

She beat Thailand’s Dararat Asayut 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 to book her place in the final four. She will take on South Korea’s Jiyu Yoon in the semfinal on Tuesday.

Korea’s Migyu Lee will face China’s Zhirui Huang in the other semifinal.

Sonalben, who also confirmed India’s first-ever medal in this category, advanced to the knockout round after finishing second in Group B with two wins and a loss. She finished behind Korea’s Migyu who had a perfect record of three wins in three.

Meanwhile, Prachi Pandey also assured India of a medal, battling past Thailand’s Kanokporn Phathumchai to book a semifinal berth in the Class 6 competition.

FILE PHOTO: Prachi’s semifinal berth assured India of its first-ever medal in this category at the Asian Para Games. | Photo Credit: Prachi Pandey/X

Prachi, who trains at the Sports Authority of India’s Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar and has a neuro-degenerative disease, defeated Phathumchai to advance to the last four of the women’s Class 6 event.

Class 6 is a standing category for athletes with severe impairments in both their arms and legs.

Prachi prevailed 11-5, 11-4, 11-13, 12-10 in her second group match to finish second in Group A with one win and one loss.

Her semifinal berth assured India of its first-ever medal in this category at the Asian Para Games.

Prachi, who has completed M.Tech from the Punjab Engineering College, will take on Najlah Al-Dayyeni of Iraq for a place in the final on Tuesday.