Paris Paralympics 2024 Para-Badminton: Manisha Ramadass wins bronze in women’s singles SU5 event
India’s Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton contingent rounded off another medal win on Monday as Manisha Ramadass clinched bronze in the women’s singles SU5 event.
The teenage para-badminton prodigy from Tamil Nadu defeated Cathrine Rosengren of Denmark in the bronze medal match at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris by a scoreline of 21-12, 21-8.
The result was impressive for Manisha, as her opponent on the day was a two-time European Champion. However, Manisha outclassed her opponent to make her Paralympic debut one to remember.
With this performance, Manisha joins silver medalist Thulasimathi Murugesan as the first female Indian para-shuttler to win a medal in the Paralympic Games.
How was Manisha Ramadass’s Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton journey?
Manisha Ramadass was always a dark horse among the Indian Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton contingent.
The 19-year-old para-badminton prodigy was already a five-time Para-Badminton World Championship medalist, including a gold medal in Tokyo 2022. She also had three bronze medals in the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.
Pitted in Group C of the women’s singles SU5 event in Paris, Manisha won her opening-day match against France’s Maud Lefort by 8-21, 21-6, 21-19. She then suffered a setback, losing against China’s Yang Qiu XIa by 15-21, 7-21.
However, she advanced to the quarterfinal round, where she faced Japan’s Mamiko Toyoda. Manisha again emerged victorious against the veteran Japanese, winning the game by 21-13, 21-16.
Manisha’s luck ran out in an all-Indian semi-final match on Sunday, where she faced Thulasimathi Murugesan. She failed to defeat Thulasimathi, who emerged victorious by a scoreline of 23-21, 21-17.
However, Manisha Ramadass managed to turn around her Paris Paralympics 2024 campaign by emerging victorious in the bronze medal playoff match against Denmark’s Catherine Rosengren, thus ensuring a memorable beginning to her Paralympic career.