Overview
- Origin
- Paralympic sport since Rome 1960
- Category
- Para
- Olympic discipline
- No
- Paralympic discipline
- Yes
- Central pathway
- TOPS eligible
- Athlete profiles on SportSupport
- 0
Governance and status
Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.
- Indian governing/organising body
- Paralympic Committee of India
- Ministry recognition
- Paralympic Committee of India — Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — as at 2026Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — List of recognised National Sports Federations
- International federation
- Not currently verified
- Khelo India inclusion
- Not currently verified
- TOPS eligibility
- In scope — TOPS covers Paralympic medal prospects
- Olympic status
- Not on the Olympic programme
- Paralympic status
- On the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme (Para Table Tennis)Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports (2024)
Para Table Tennis is listed on SportSupport in the para category. Its recorded origin is Paralympic sport since Rome 1960. Para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Para Table Tennis was on the Paris 2024 Paralympic programme. (Source: International Paralympic Committee — Paris 2024 Paralympic Games — sports: https://www.paralympic.org/paris-2024/sports) We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.
Para Table Tennis is on the pathway that runs through India's national sports federations to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), with selection running through Paralympic Committee of India against its published benchmarks. Being on this pathway is not itself a statement that the discipline is currently in TOPS — TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group chosen by the Mission Olympic Cell.
Scholarships & Funding
Central, state and private scholarships available for para table tennis athletes in India.
- Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for selected Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
- Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and an out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for athletes inducted by the Mission Olympic Cell. TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines rather than every Olympic sport, and induction is decided athlete by athlete; we hold no current list confirming whether para table tennis is among the covered disciplines.
- National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to para table tennis.
- Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria — Government of India.
Indian Players
No profiles yetNo athlete profiles are recorded for para table tennis yet. We only list athletes we can source, so this section stays empty until verifiable profiles exist.
Browse the full athlete directory →Rules
Played to standard table tennis rules with class-based adaptations. Classes 1 to 5 are for wheelchair athletes, with 1 the most impaired, classes 6 to 10 for standing athletes and class 11 for athletes with intellectual impairment. In wheelchair classes a serve that would leave the table over the sideline is replayed. Matches are the best of five games to 11 points, win by two.
Authoritative rulebook: Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.
Positions
Typical roles across para sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced para table tennis squad list.
- CompetitorAthlete who takes part in the para table tennis event under Paralympic Committee of India rules.
- CoachFederation-certified coach responsible for training and match-day decisions.
- Match officialReferee, umpire or judge who officiates the event.
Equipment
Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in para table tennis at a federation-recognised event.
- Table tennis racket with approved rubber
- 40mm plastic ball
- Sport wheelchair for classes 1 to 5
- Strapping or bandaging to secure grip where hand function is limited
- Non-marking indoor shoes for standing classes
Governing/organising body
Paralympic Committee of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Table Tennis. Its recognition status as we hold it: Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (as at 2026). Recognition is granted year by year, so read the federation profile for the source.
- Origin
- Paralympic sport since Rome 1960
- Olympic
- No
- Paralympic
- Yes
- Category
- Para
Major Indian Events
Domestic competitions we hold a source for in para table tennis.
- National Para Table Tennis Championships
Organised under the Paralympic Committee of India across the wheelchair, standing and intellectual impairment classes, feeding selection for World Para Table Tennis and Asian Para Games squads.
International Events
Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in para table tennis.
- Paralympic Games
Bhavina Patel won silver in the women's singles Class 4 at Tokyo 2020 — India's first Paralympic table tennis medal, and the country's first table tennis medal at either the Olympics or Paralympics. Reaching the final, she beat China's Zhang Miao, then world number three and the Rio silver medallist, which she noted was the first time an Indian player had beaten a Chinese opponent in the sport.
- Commonwealth Games
Bhavina Patel won gold in the Class 3-5 singles at Birmingham 2022, where para table tennis made its Commonwealth Games debut, with Sonalben Patel taking bronze in the same event.
Leagues
No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for para table tennis. The national championship under Paralympic Committee of India remains the top domestic competition.
All leagues →International Players
Globally recognised para table tennis athletes to know outside India.
The international federation for para table tennis maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.
Career Options
Ways to build a career in para table tennis — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.
- Bhavina Patel learned the game at the Blind People's Association in Ahmedabad and was working as a Gujarat state government employee when she won her Paralympic silver — a reminder that India's para pathway often runs alongside full-time employment
- Her support came from a combination of the Paralympic Committee of India, the Sports Authority of India, TOPS and the private foundation Olympic Gold Quest, which is a common funding pattern for Indian para athletes
- Classification into a wheelchair, standing or intellectual impairment class is required before entering sanctioned competition and determines both the service rules and the field of opponents
- The sport shares halls, coaches and equipment with able-bodied table tennis, making it one of the more accessible para disciplines to take up in India
Related academies
0 listedNo para table tennis academies are catalogued in the directory yet. Browse the full academy list or list your academy to appear here.
Government Schemes
1 listedCentral and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for para table tennis athletes and academies.
All government schemes →FAQs
Common questions about para table tennis in India.
Who governs Para Table Tennis in India?▾
We list Paralympic Committee of India as the Indian governing/organising body for Para Table Tennis, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.
Is Para Table Tennis an Olympic sport?▾
No. Para Table Tennis is a para discipline, and para disciplines are contested at the Paralympic Games, not the Olympic Games. Athletes selected by Paralympic Committee of India against its published criteria can be considered for TOPS funding, which covers Paralympic medal prospects.
How do I start playing Para Table Tennis in India?▾
The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under Paralympic Committee of India. Age-group state championships follow from there.
What government schemes support Para Table Tennis athletes?▾
TOPS supports a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines selected by the Mission Olympic Cell, rather than every Olympic sport. We hold no current list confirming whether Para Table Tennis is among them, so we make no TOPS claim for it. State governments give cash awards to medallists at events they notify. Para Table Tennis does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.
Para Table Tennis in every state & UT
Dedicated pages for Para Table Tennis in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.
- Para Table Tennis in Andhra Pradesh
- Para Table Tennis in Arunachal Pradesh
- Para Table Tennis in Assam
- Para Table Tennis in Bihar
- Para Table Tennis in Chhattisgarh
- Para Table Tennis in Goa
- Para Table Tennis in Gujarat
- Para Table Tennis in Haryana
- Para Table Tennis in Himachal Pradesh
- Para Table Tennis in Jharkhand
- Para Table Tennis in Karnataka
- Para Table Tennis in Kerala
- Para Table Tennis in Madhya Pradesh
- Para Table Tennis in Maharashtra
- Para Table Tennis in Manipur
- Para Table Tennis in Meghalaya
- Para Table Tennis in Mizoram
- Para Table Tennis in Nagaland
- Para Table Tennis in Odisha
- Para Table Tennis in Punjab
- Para Table Tennis in Rajasthan
- Para Table Tennis in Sikkim
- Para Table Tennis in Tamil Nadu
- Para Table Tennis in Telangana
- Para Table Tennis in Tripura
- Para Table Tennis in Uttar Pradesh
- Para Table Tennis in Uttarakhand
- Para Table Tennis in West Bengal
- Para Table Tennis in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Para Table Tennis in Chandigarh
- Para Table Tennis in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
- Para Table Tennis in Delhi
- Para Table Tennis in Jammu & Kashmir
- Para Table Tennis in Ladakh
- Para Table Tennis in Lakshadweep
- Para Table Tennis in Puducherry