Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, day 2 as it happened: TT – Bhavina Patel moves to R16, Sonal Patel loses

07.15 pm: Join us tomorrow for what promises to be an action-packed day. And the first medal events featuring Indians.

Table tennis: Bhavina Patel through to knockouts, Sonal Patel bows out. Report here:

06.25 pm: PTI report: Swimmer Suyash Jadhav will miss Friday’s 200m individual medley SM7 event in the Paralympic Games here as he is suffering from cold and sore throat.

The Indian contingent’s chef de mission Gursharan Singh on Thursday said Jadhav is a bit under the weather and doctors have advised him not to compete on Friday. His COVID-19 test report is, however, negative. “Jadhav has cold and sore throat. Doctors said he should take rest. So we decided he will not take part tomorrow. But he will be fine for his other two events,” Singh told PTI.

“His Covid report is negative,” he added.

The 27-year-old Jadhav, whose two hands were amputated below the elbow at the age of 11 due to electrocution, will compete in two other events – 100m breaststroke SB7 on September 1 and 50m butterfly S7 on September 3.

06.15 pm: Bhavina Patel will return for the round of 16 on Friday (Report here), and the action also starts to pick up pace for the Indian contingent with archery, athletics and powerlifting to watch out for. Promises to be a packed day.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-3 KOR: A tough group for Sonal Patel with Rio 2016 silver medallist from CHN and world No 6 from KOR. The Indian doesn’t have a win to her name & won’t progress here but she had her moments in both matches. Without having watched her play, the scores do tell a story.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-3 KOR: Korea’s Lee Mi Gyu manages to convert a match point finally after Sonal Patel came storming back from 2-10 to make it 9-10. The Korean world No 6 wins the match in 4 games.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-2 KOR: Make that 9-10! SEVEN straight points, seven match points saved.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-2 KOR: Looks like Lee had taken a time out (based on the score update delay) but the scores are now 8-10! That’s six match points saved!

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-2 KOR: Sonal Patel saves three match points for now. 10-5. Still very much in the Korean’s favour.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-2 KOR: Make that 10-2 and 8 match points for Lee.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-2 KOR: A 6-2 lead for the Korean in the fourth game.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-2 KOR: Now 8 straight points in this game. Soon, a 10-3 lead with multiple game points and she converts the first to take it 11-3. Sonal, if she can, has to win this in 5 but her points difference has already taken a serious hit (if we are not mistaken, this might mean the criteria is in favour of the Chinese paddler)

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-1 KOR: It seems like the Korean has all the momentum right now. Has opened up a 6-2 lead in the third game.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-1 KOR: The Korean storms back. From 5-5, she wins 6 straight points in the best streak of the match so far. And she takes the second 11-5.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND 1-0 KOR: Close in the second game as well, 5-5.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: Sonal Patel saves game point (at least one) and takes a 1-0 lead with a 12-10 scoreline. Good start. 7 minutes for that game. Both players strong on their serves, but the Indian goes ahead when it mattered the most.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: Make that 10-10. Extra time needed in Game 1.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: Close, close start. 5-5, now 8-8.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: Close start, 4-3 to the Korean in the first game.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: The live-scoring is underway. The equation is completely clear at the moment, with Korea and China on one win so far. For starters, Sonal MUST win and only then the scenarios come into play.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: The match is scheduled to have started by now, but it hasn’t despite the previous match finishing on the table. Awaiting updates. (Only table 2 and 6 are broadcast, Indians have played on table 5)

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: This is how the Group stands.

Women’s singles table tennis, Class 3 Group D, IND vs KOR: Sonal Patel’s match vs Lee Mi Gyu will start shortly.

Wheelchair Fencing: Great Britain bag a gold and silver

Paralympics day one recap:

British cyclist Sarah Storey added to her glorious golden history as wheelchair rugby powerhouses Australia suffered a shock defeat on day one of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Paralympics on Wednesday.

Paige Greco, an Australian cyclist, had the honour of winning the first gold of the Games, 354 days later than originally envisaged because of the Covid-19 pandemic and a day after a high-energy but poignant opening ceremony.

Despite a year-long postponement, and with coronavirus fears hanging over the event, world and Paralympic records tumbled in the swimming pool and on the cycling track on a pulsating first day of competition that saw 24 gold medals awarded.

Greco was in record-breaking form as she beat China’s Wang Xiaomei in the gold medal race in C1-C3 class 3,000 metre individual pursuit at the Izu Velodrome.

She smashed her own world record by nearly eight seconds in the heats and lowered it by another second and a half to 3min 50.815sec in the final.

“I still can’t believe it. I keep looking down and seeing (the gold medal). It’s not really sunk in yet,” said Greco.

Storey moved a step closer to becoming Britain’s greatest Paralympian, shattering her own world record in the heats before powering to victory in the C5 3,000 metres individual pursuit final for her 15th Paralympic gold.

The 43-year-old took the title for a fourth consecutive Games when she caught compatriot Crystal Lane-Wright inside eight laps of the 12.

Storey is just one medal behind the British record held by Mike Kenny, who won 16 swimming golds from 1976 to 1988.

“I never expected to go as quickly this morning, but I’m so glad I did,” said Storey. (Via AFP)

Table tennis report here:

Swimming: The Games’ youngest Paralympian, Ugandan swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe, aged just 14 competed on Thursday morning in the 100m breaststroke in the SB8 category.

Kukundakwe, who was born without her right forearm and also has an impairment to her left hand, did not make the final but said she felt she could “touch the clouds” after a personal best time.

She says she wants to change attitudes towards people with disabilities in Uganda, and give “these kids a chance.”

She is just months older than fellow teenage swimmer Miyuki Yamada, who became Japan’s youngest ever Paralympic medalist Wednesday as she bagged silver in the 100m backstroke S2, the host country’s first medal at the Games. (Via AFP)

Table tennis, women’s singles Class 4: Knockout bracket confirmed. Bhavina will face Brazil’s world No 8 Joyce de Oliveira on Friday morning (7.30 am IST approx) in the round of 16. Should she win, her quarterfinal opponent is defending champion Rankovic Peric of Serbia.

Turns out, there is a lot of kicking content on Amy Truesdale’s social media account and they are all pretty awesome. Check them out here.

ICYMI: Bhavina Patel is through to the knockout stages of Class 4 women’s singles in TableTennis.

Report here:

Powerlifting: India’s two powerlifters Jaideep and Sakina Khatun will be in action tomorrow.

Watch: The story of Bebe Vio, one of the most recognised Paralympians in the world.

Watch ‘Rising Phoenix’ – a feature on the history of Paralympics and inspiring stories

The Netflix feature is streaming on YouTube till the end of the Paraylmpic Games on 5 September.

Goalball: Rather fittingly if I could add, this looks like a whole lot like a superhero landing pose.

Goalball: One of the sport that is unique for Paralympics. All athletes wear full eyeshades so there is no advantage based on level of impairment. And they have to save the ball from crossing into the net based on the sound, and try to score at the other end. Fans, if present, would have to be quiet.

An inspiring story everywhere you look at the Paralympic Games:

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A: Confirmation of the Q next to her name for Bhavina Patel. We will confirm soon about the knockout formats, where there are two two pre-QF matches before the field is reduced to 8.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 3-1 GBR: Apologies for the error earlier about this being the virtual round of 16 match. There are five groups in this Class 4. And there is a mini round of 16 phase before the quarterfinals. What is confirmed however, is that Bhavina Patel is through the knockouts.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 3-1 GBR: BHAVINA PATEL WINS! She saves game points in the 4th game & then takes the lead at a decisive moment from 7-10 down with 4 straight points and wins this match in 4 games. That takes her into the *knockouts! (Confirmation of that shortly)

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 2-1 GBR: And now Bhavina has a game point at 11-10 that has been saved by Shackleton. Geez, just tracking scores is nerve-wracking.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 2-1 GBR: Brilliant from Bhavina Patel to make it 10-10 from 7-10!

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 2-1 GBR: Game point opportunities for Shackleton at 10-7.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 2-1 GBR: Well, as I typed that, Shackleton goes into a 8-5 lead. Might well be the first time in this match that a player has had a 3-point lead.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 2-1 GBR: Much like the first three games, it is close. Neither player having a big lead. It’s 5-5 in Game 4. The Indian would, of course, love to take this in 4 games.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 2-1 GBR: BRILLIANT! Third game to Bhavina Patel, 17-15 after a see-saw battle of points. Both players had chances to seal the game, but the Indian takes a crucial 2-1 lead against Shackleton.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-1 GBR: This time it goes to 13-13, then 14-14, then 15-15.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-1 GBR: Bhavina also saves a game point and it is 12-12 at the moment! Wow. This could well be the decisive moment in this match.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-1 GBR: Bhavina had a couple of game points but they have come and gone and we are heading into extra time in this game at 10-10.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-1 GBR: And now Bhavina in the lead at 9-8, nice turnaround.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-1 GBR: A 7-5 lead for Shackleton now in the third game against Bhavina.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-1 GBR: Shackleton goes into an early 4-2 lead in the third game.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-1 GBR: Shackleton levels things up as she picks up the next two points from 9-9 to take the second game 11-9. Bhavina, in contrast to game 1, lost 7 points on her own serve here.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-0 GBR: Make that 9–9 in the second game now. This could be a crucial couple of points coming up.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-0 GBR: Neither player taking a big lead here, very close in the second game. It’s 6–6 now.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND 1-0 GBR: It’s 3-3 to start the second game.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND vs GBR: Bhavina Patel takes the opening game 11-7 in 8 mins against Megan Shackleton. Won twice as many points on serve as her opponent.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND vs GBR: The Indian goes into a 9-7 lead in the opening game after a neck-and-neck start.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A IND vs GBR: It’s 5-5 in the opening game to start things off.

Table tennis, women’s singles, Class 4 Group A: The IND-GBR match is now underway. For those, wondering, there is no official telecast available for this match on table 5.

Table tennis, women’s singles: Coming up... Bhavina Patel (ranked 12) will take on GBR’s Megan Shackleton (ranked 9) in a match that will determine who progresses out of Class 4 Group A.

Paralympics, table tennis: Meet Ibrahim Hamatodou, the Egyptian who plays with his mouth

Hamadtou lost his opening group match yesterday, but he still has a chance to progress when he returns for his second match tomorrow.

Table tennis, women’s singles: Both Indian players lost in their opening group stage matches but the defeats came against the best-ranked players in their respective groups. In Class 3, Sonal Patel, who almost stunned the Rio 2016 silver medallist, did not have an ideal result in the other match as KOR defeated CHN. She has to win convincingly against KOR now. Bhavina Patel meanwhile has a virtual knockout match against GBR in Class 4, with the winner progressing to the knockout phase.

08.50 am: Hello all and welcome to the live coverage of the Paralympic Games. Day two is upon us as action continues at Tokyo 2020. It is another light day for the Indian contingent as the two table tennis players return to action... whether they continue their journeys in the women’s singles will be determined today.