Asian Para Games 2026: Bhavina Patel Advances to Round of 16 as Dattaprasad Chougule Exits

India experienced contrasting fortunes in para table tennis at the Asian Para Games 2026, with Tokyo Paralympic silver medallist Bhavina Patel advancing to the Round of 16 while Dattaprasad Chougule bowed out of the men’s singles Class 9 competition following a defeat to Kazakhstan’s Marat Surtubayev.

Patel secured her place in the knockout stages with a commanding straight-games victory over Jordan’s Faten Eleimat in the women’s singles Class 4-5 group stage. Chougule, meanwhile, finished third in his group after suffering his second defeat, bringing his campaign in the event to an end.

The contrasting results highlighted the fine margins of group-stage competition, where consistency across matches determines who progresses to the elimination rounds.

Patel continued her campaign with an emphatic 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 victory over Eleimat. The Indian controlled the contest across all three games, improving her advantage as the match progressed and closing out the encounter without allowing her opponent to take a game.

The opening game was the closest of the three, with Eleimat unable to sustain enough pressure to prevent Patel from taking an early lead. Patel then secured the second game 11-7 before producing her most convincing performance in the third, winning 11-4 to complete the straight-games victory.

The result gave Patel two wins from two matches in Group A, earning her four points and placing her at the top of the group. With her group-stage campaign complete, she progressed to the Round of 16.

Patel’s qualification is an important development for India’s para table tennis campaign. The Tokyo Paralympic silver medallist brings considerable experience to the competition, having already demonstrated her ability to perform on the sport’s biggest stages.

Her straight-games victory also ensured that she advanced without the need for a deciding game, an advantage as the competition moves into the knockout phase, where every match carries elimination pressure.

The Round of 16 will provide Patel with her next test as she seeks to convert her group-stage form into a deeper run in the tournament. Her performance against Eleimat offered an encouraging indication of her ability to close out matches efficiently.

Dattaprasad Chougule exits after second defeat

Chougule’s campaign in the men’s singles Class 9 event ended with a 0-3 defeat against Kazakhstan’s Surtubayev. The Indian lost 11-13, 5-11, 7-11 in his final group-stage match. The opening game offered Chougule his closest opportunity to gain a foothold in the contest. He stayed within reach of Surtubayev but ultimately lost 11-13, allowing the Kazakh player to establish the advantage.

The second game proved more difficult for the Indian, who went down 5-11 as Surtubayev moved closer to securing the match. Chougule was unable to reverse the momentum in the third game, losing 7-11 as his opponent completed a straight-games victory.

The defeat left Chougule with two losses from two matches, placing him third in his group. With only the top two players advancing to the quarterfinals, he was unable to secure progression to the knockout stage.

The result ended his participation in the men’s singles Class 9 event. Although the opening game was closely contested, Chougule could not build on that performance to challenge Surtubayev across the remainder of the match.

For the Indian, the group-stage exit will be a disappointing conclusion to his singles campaign. The narrow margin in the first game demonstrated that he was competitive early in the contest, but the subsequent games went in favour of the Kazakhstan player.

Patel’s qualification provides India with a positive result in the women’s singles competition, while Chougule’s exit underlines the importance of securing results across the group stage.

In Patel’s case, two victories from two matches were enough to finish first in Group A and progress to the Round of 16. Chougule, by contrast, could not overcome his opponents in either of his two matches and finished outside the qualifying positions.

The focus now shifts to Patel’s knockout campaign, where she will look to maintain the form that carried her through the group stage. Her experience as a Paralympic medallist will be a valuable asset as the competition becomes increasingly demanding.

With one Indian advancing and another exiting, the results delivered a mixed day for India in para table tennis at the Asian Para Games 2026. Patel remains in contention for a place in the later rounds, while Chougule’s men’s singles Class 9 campaign has concluded.