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. 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.“I chose para sports not because I would gain something from it but because I wanted to show my schoolmates that I can do anything,” Sahana told TOI. Sahana was born with a disability that left her unable to feel sensations on the left side of her body, including arm and leg. Just a year ago, Sahana won multiple medals at the Asian Youth Para Games, and the youngster has now added another feather to her cap.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. 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. “I decided to quit normal schooling during Grade 9 so as to focus completely on training. After long arguments with my parents, I decided to study at National Institute of Open Schooling,” Sahana, ranked world No. 9, said.In Aichi-Nagoya, Sahana won two group-game matches and by virtue of finishing in top-2 in group B, she reached the semifinals and was assured of a medal. Two matches Sahana lost in the event were to the Chinese. In the group-stage she was beaten by 2024 Paralympics silver medallist Xiong Guiyan and in the last-four stage, she lost to the reigning champion Mao Jingdian 0-3 on Tuesday.“After missing out on winning a medal in the last Asian Games, my entire focus was on winning it this time. I feel like I have played in an Olympic trial, which will be helpful for my preparation for the 2028 Paralympics. In the semis, I did not have much expectation. I lost to her badly last time but now, I can see improvement in my game, and I put her under pressure,” Sahana added.Sahana trained with Raj Aravindan in Hosur till 2022 and later shifted to Chennai to train under coaches Muralidhara and Srinivasa Rao (Sharath Kamal’s father). “When I introduced myself to them, they already knew me because I had beaten the top seed (abled body) in a state ranking tournament a year ago, back then. They trained me like how they do for able bodied which helped me improve my strokes. I shifted to Chennai because I wanted to come out of my comfort zone. I was a defensive player and did not know about certain strokes. Now, I have become an aggressive player.”In 2022, Sahana received sponsorships, which helped ease her financial burden. She recently secured a job under TN’s 3% sports quota.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.
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