(Table tennis news) Paralympics 2021 Live Update: The Indian Paralympics campaign started off on a disappointing note as two time Paralympic medallist Li Qian from China defeated Sonalben Patel 2-3 in the women’s table tennis Class 3 event at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Patel got off to a bright start, winning the first game 11-9 in six minutes. It was a close contest which ended with three consecutive points in favor of the Indian para athlete. However, Li Qian showed just why she is not to be underestimated and comfortably dominated the second game to win 3-11.
The third game was a test of perseverance for the two paddlers as they battled it out in a closely contested clash. With long rallies (one lasting for 13 shots), both the paddlers were unwilling to throw in the towel but Sonal eventually got the better of her Chinese counterpart and finished with a 17-15 win.
However, Qian’s resolve was far from over and before long she levelled the scoring 2-2 with an 11-7 win and the battle moved on to Game 5 for the crucial decider. Qian took a 6-2 lead at the interval and won the game 11-6, defeating India’s Sonalben Patel 3-2 in the opening game of Group D.
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