Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan Make Semis, Assure India Of Para Badminton Medal

Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan assured India of a medal for the second successive edition by securing a semifinal berth in the women's doubles SL3-SU5 event at the Asian Para Games on Saturday. The Indian duo, who won a silver medal at the Hangzhou edition in 2023, defeated China's Yuemei Liu and Tongtong Li 21-10, 21-17 to register their second successive win and confirm a top-two finish in Group A with a match to spare. With both losing semifinalists guaranteed bronze medals, the victory ensured India a place on the podium.

Joshi and Thulasimathi had earlier defeated Indonesia's Rahayu Warining and Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh on Friday. They will face China's Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian in their final group-stage match on Monday.

The SL3-SU5 doubles event is a combined standing category for players with lower- or upper-limb impairments.

Tokyo Paralympics champion Krishna Nagar also registered his second successive win in the men's singles SH6 group stage to secure a quarterfinal berth.

Nagar defeated Indonesia's Subhan 21-13, 21-15 to confirm a top-two finish in Group C, with one group-stage match remaining. The SH6 category is for players of short stature.

India enjoyed several more victories across the singles events, with Paris Paralympics champion Nitesh Kumar and Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist Pramod Bhagat faring strongly in men's singles SL3, a category for standing players with lower-limb impairments.

Nitesh defeated Thailand's Natthapol Chamnanwet 21-6, 21-7, while Bhagat beat China's Xiong Lichuan 21-17, 21-16.

Umesh Vikram Kumar also defeated the Philippines' Khian Kyle Urbano 21-10, 21-12.

In men's singles SL4, which features standing players with less severe lower-limb impairments, Naveen Sivakumar beat Indonesia's Hikmat Ramdani 21-12, 21-10, while Surya Kant Yadav defeated Japan's Koki Ogawa 21-6, 21-19.

Sukant Kadam overcame South Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan 21-17, 18-21, 21-9, and Abhijeet Sakhuja rallied to beat Thailand's Siripong Teamarrom 19-21, 21-16, 21-10.

In men's singles SU5, a category for standing players with upper-limb impairments, Ruthick Ragupathi defeated Japan's Wataru Kanai 21-12, 21-13, while Hardik Makkar beat Malaysia's Amyrul Yazid Ahmad Sibi 21-16, 16-21, 21-18.

India also recorded victories in the wheelchair categories.

In men's singles WH1, for players with greater impairment affecting their trunk and lower limbs, Prem Kumar Ale overcame the UAE's Omair Younas 20-22, 21-9, 21-10.

In WH2, a category for wheelchair players with less severe impairment, Haris Mythili Srikumar defeated Indonesia's Wiwin Andri 21-13, 21-17. Abu Hubaida, however, lost to Japan's Reo Oyama 13-21, 11-21.

In men's singles SH6, alongside Nagar's win, Sivarajan Solaimalai defeated Hong Kong's Wong Chun Yim 21-13, 21-14. Sudarsan Muthusamy, however, went down to Hong Kong's Chu Man Kai 8-21, 6-21.

In the women's events, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan beat China's Lin Shuangbao 21-18, 21-13 in singles SH6, while Thulasimathi Murugesan registered a dominant 21-2, 21-2 victory over Brunei's Zainab Mohamed in SU5. Manisha Ramadass also defeated compatriot Shanthiya Vishwanathan 21-8, 21-15 in the same category.

However, India also endured setbacks in women's singles SL3, which features standing players with lower-limb impairments.

Joshi lost to Japan's Shino Kawai 3-21, 3-21, Sanjana Kumari went down to Indonesia's Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh 13-21, 6-21, and Neeraj was beaten by China's Xiao Zuxian 5-21, 10-21.

Mandeep Kaur also lost to Malaysia's Siti Maisarah Mat Lawani 5-21, 13-21.

In women's singles SL4, Kanak Singh Jadaun suffered a 4-21, 3-21 defeat to China's Huang Zixuan, while Pallavi Kaluvehalli lost 13-21, 14-21 to China's Yang Fan in women's wheelchair singles WH1.

India also had mixed fortunes in the doubles events.

In men's doubles SL3-SU5, Surya Kant Yadav and Naveen Sivakumar defeated China's Mingpan Li and Lichuan Xiong 21-7, 21-19.

Sukant Kadam and Pramod Bhagat lost to South Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan and Cho Nadan 21-18, 19-21, 11-21, while Umesh Vikram Kumar and Rakesh Pandey went down to Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan and Hikmat Ramdani 14-21, 10-21.

In women's doubles SL3-SU5, Mandeep Kaur and Shanthiya Vishwanathan lost 11-21, 12-21 to China's Hefang Cheng and Zixuan Huang.

In mixed doubles WH1-WH2, Alphia James and Prem Kumar Ale defeated Chinese Taipei's I-Chen Yang and Yu-Yu Ong 21-9, 21-17.

However, in mixed doubles SL3-SU5, Manisha Ramadass and Pramod Bhagat lost 19-21, 16-21 to Indonesia's Leani Ratri Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani, while Ruthick Ragupathi and Manasi Joshi were beaten 10-21, 17-21 by China's Mingpan Li and Xiao Zuxian.

Krishna Nagar and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan also went down 6-21, 10-21 to China's Naili Lin and Fengmei Li in mixed doubles SH6.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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