Paris Paralympics 2024 Para-Badminton: Nitesh, Suhas, Thulasimathi through to singles final; Sukant, Nithya, Manisha to play for bronze
India’s para-badminton players had a mixed day in the office at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Nitesh Kumar, Suhas Yathiraj, and Thulasimathi Murugesan won their respective singles bouts in the semi-finals on Sunday (September 1) and progressed to the finals.
Nitesh set the tone in the first Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton match on Sunday. The 29-year-old para-shuttler defeated 2020 Tokyo bronze medalist Daisuke Fujihara 21-16, 21-12 in the semi-final of the men’s singles SL3 event. He will face the 2020 Tokyo silver medalist Daniel Bethell of Great Britain in the gold medal match on Monday.
Meanwhile, Suhas Yathiraj prevailed in an all-India semi-final bout in the men’s singles SL4 event against Sukant Kudam. Yathiraj had little trouble in winning the match, dominating his countryman and winning the bout by a scoreline of 21-17, 21-12. He will take on Lucas Mazur in the gold medal match on Monday, while Kadam will face Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan in the bronze medal match.
Thulasimathi Murugesan continued her strong showings in the Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton events, winning against fellow Indian para-shuttler Manisha Ramadass in the women’s singles SU5 semi-final match. In a thrilling match, Thulasimathi emerged victorious by a tight scoreline of 23-21, 21-17. She will face China’s Qui Xia Yand in the gold medal match, while Ramadass will square off against Denmark’s Catherine Rosengren in the bronze medal match on Monday.
Indian para-badminton’s rising star Nithya Sre Sivan lost in the women’s singles SH6 semi-final against China’s Lin Shuangbao by a scoreline of 13-21, 19-21. However, she will play for a bronze medal when she faces Indonesia’s Rina Marlina on Monday.
Mandeep, Palak eliminated in Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton QF
India also had its fair share of disappointments in the Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton events on Day 4.
Three-time World Championships bronze medalist Mandeep Kaur lost the women’s singles SL3 quarter-final to Nigeria’s Mariam Eniola Bolaji. The experienced para-shuttler from Uttarakhand was dominated by teenage prodigy Eniola Bolaji, who won the match in some style, a scoreline of 21-8, 21-9.
Palak Kohli continued her poor showings at the Paris Paralympics 2024 para-badminton events by losing the women’s singles SL4 quarter-final against Indonesian para-shuttler Khalimatus Sadiyah by 19-21, 15-21.
Sadiyah, a doubles gold medalist from 2020 Tokyo, looked in control throughout the clash despite the tight scoreline and gave Palak no chance to salvage her Paralympics campaign.