Paris 2024 Paralympics badminton: Nitesh-Thulasimathi claim early win but fall to top seeds; Suhas-Palak, Nithya-Sivarajan succumb to defeats
India's para badminton duo, Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan started their campaign at the Paris 2024 Paralympics on a high note. They secured a stellar victory against their compatriots Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli in the first group stage match of the SL3-SU5 Mixed Doubles on August 29.
The pair won comfortably in straight sets with a scoreline of 21-14, 21-17, showcasing their superior net play and strategy. This early triumph provided Nitesh and Thulasimathi with a much-needed confidence boost as they prepared to face tougher opponents in their group.
However, in their second group match at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Nitesh and Thulasimathi faced a far stiffer challenge against the world’s top-ranked mixed doubles pair, Indonesia's Hikmat Ramdani and Leani Ratri Oktila. The Indian duo, despite their earlier win, struggled to replicate their form, losing in straight sets 21-15, 21-8.
Right from the start, it was evident that the Indian duo would have a tough time against the World Champions. The Indonesian pair quickly built a lead in the first game, showing great composure and precision with their shots.
Although Nitesh and Thulasimathi fought valiantly, managing to close the gap to within three points at one stage, their efforts weren’t enough to stop Ramdani and Oktila, who capitalized on a service error to win the first game 21-15.
The second game was even more lopsided as the Indonesian team maintained control with powerful smashes and well-placed shots that consistently found gaps in the Indian defense.
Nitesh and Thulasimathi struggled to keep pace, giving away several easy points and finding themselves overwhelmed by their opponents' skills. In just over half an hour, the match ended with a 21-8 scoreline in favor of the Indonesians at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Suhas Yathiraj-Palak Kohli, Nithya Sre-Sivarajan Solaimalai face defeats in Mixed Doubles at Paris 2024 Paralympics
Following the loss against Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan, Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli also suffered a straight-sets defeat in their match against Lucas Mazur and Faustine Noel of France. The Indian pair started strong but could not maintain momentum, ultimately losing 21-15, 21-9 at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
In another match at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the mixed doubles pair of Nithya Sre and Sivarajan Solaimalai fell short in a tightly contested first game, losing 23-21 to the USA’s Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon. The Indian duo was unable to recover in the second game, succumbing 11-21 and facing elimination from the tournament.