Nagoya, Oct 17 Sprinter Simran Sharma on Saturday replaced Bhavina Patel as India’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the Para Asian Games so that the table tennis player is adequate rested ahead of her quarterfinal on October 19.
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) had earlier named shuttler Pramod Bhagat and Patel as flag bearers for Sunday’s opening ceremony.
“The decision has been taken to ensure that Bhavina, a wheelchair athlete, has sufficient time to rest and prepare for her crucial quarter-final. The journey to and from the venue takes nearly six hours, which would be physically demanding and leave her with limited time to recover ahead of the match,” said a PCI statement.
Para Athletics head coach Satyanarayana said he did not want to take any chances with Bhavina’s rest and recovery ahead of Monday’s quarterfinal.
“Bhavina has her quarter-final match on October 19, and it is important that she gets adequate rest and recovery ahead of this crucial contest. As a wheelchair athlete, travelling to and from the venue takes nearly six hours, which would be demanding and leave her with limited time to recover.
“Keeping her well-being and competition schedule in mind, we felt it was important to make this change. Our priority is to ensure that our athletes get the rest they need and are fully prepared to give their best when they compete,” said Satyanarayana.
Bhagat, one of India’s most decorated para badminton players, has won six Asian Para Games medals between 2014 and 2023, including two gold and four bronze.
Patel won two medals in para table tennis at the 2018 and 2023 editions, one silver and one bronze.
(PTI News)
