Para table tennis player Bhavina Patel is now doing for others what she wished someone had done for her also — giving wings to someone's sporting dreams with much-needed financial support.
In 2021, Bhavina became only the second Indian woman to win a Paralympic medal when she clinched the silver in women's singles table tennis class 4 final. It was also the country's first medal in para table tennis.
A medal in a multi-sport event in India brings with it a lot of perks including fame, attention, sponsors and cash rewards. And after her Tokyo Paralympic silver medal, Bhavina thought of ways how she could make the Indian Para athletic movement stronger.
One day she had an epiphany and Bhavina knew what she had to do.
"After Tokyo, I got a lot money. I thought what should I do, how can I help others. So now I am sponsoring two players," Bhavina told PTI.
Daughter of Hasmukhbhai Patel, a small-time shopkeeper at Sundhiya village in Gujarat's Mehsana district, Bhavina was diagnosed with polio when she was only 12 months old.
"I come from a small village, I never dreamed that I'd play table tennis but today I have a lot of knowledge and I want to share it.
"The more exposure para athletes get the better it is for them. I had to face a lot of financial problems, I don't want others to face the same," the wheelchair-bound athlete said.
One could sense the pride in Bhavina voice when she said, "I have adopted two para athletes. I take care of their training expenses etc as per their requirements."
Pragya Ghildial and Jashvant Choudhary are the two para table tennis players Bhavina is supporting.
Pragya, who injured her spinal cord in a road accident in 2005, and Bhavina were rivals and also partnered together for doubles way back in 2008.
An extrovert who wanted to try new things, Pragya, ventured into different sports and would compete on and off up until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 following which she quit sports.
"I know Bhavina since the time I took up table tennis in 2008. She and I used to compete against each other. We also played doubles together. I left table tennis after the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010," the Delhi-based Pragya said.