Para Asian Games: Manasi-Thulasimathi duo assure India of medal; Nagar enters quarterfinal round
India made a commanding start in para-badminton at the Asian Para Games, with Krishna Nagar, Nitesh Kumar and Pramod Bhagat among the winners across standing and wheelchair categories.
Updated : Oct 17, 2026 19:31 IST , NAGOYA - 3 MINS READ
File Photo: India’s Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan have guaranteed a podium finish for the second consecutive edition. | Photo Credit: PTI
File Photo: India’s Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan have guaranteed a podium finish for the second consecutive edition. | Photo Credit: PTI
Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan have secured India a medal for the second edition in a row, reaching the semifinals of the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 at the Asian Para Games on Saturday.
The Indian duo, who won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, beat China’s Yuemei Liu and Tongtong Li 21-10, 21-17 for their second straight sucessive win, sealing a top two spot in Group A with one match still to play.
Since both losing semifinalists are guaranteed bronze, the win ensured India a podium finish.
ALSO READ | India at Para Asian Games 2026 — Full list of athletes, competition-wise split for Aichi-Nagoya Games
Joshi and Thulasimathi had earlier overcome Indonesia’s Rahayu Warining and Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh on Friday. They will take on China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian in their last group fixture on Monday.
The SL3-SU5 doubles event is a combined standing category for players with lower or upper limb impairments.
Krishna Nagar extends winning run
Krishna Nagar, the Tokyo Paralympics champion, also picked up his second consecutive win in the SH6 men’s singles group stage, booking a place in the quarterfinals.
Nagar beat Indonesia’s Subhan 21-13, 21-15 to lock in a top-two finish in Group C, with one group match remaining. The SH6 category is meant for players of short stature.
India registered several other victories in the singles events as well, with Paris Paralympics champion Nitesh Kumar and Tokyo Paralympics winner Pramod Bhagat performing strongly in men’s singles SL3, a standing category for players with lower limb impairments.
Nitesh beat Thailand’s Natthapol Chamnanwet 21-6, 21-7, while Bhagat beat China’s Xiong Lichuan 21-17, 21-16.
Umesh Vikram Kumar also got past the Philippines Khian Kyle Urbano 21-10, 21-12.
In men’s singles SL4, a standing category for players with less severe lower-limb impairments, Naveen Sivakumar won against Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani 21-12, 21-10, while Surya Kant Yadav beat Japan’s Koki Ogawa 21-6, 21-19.
Sukant Kadam got the better of South Korea’s Shin Kyung Hwan 21-17, 18-21, 21-9, and Abhijeet Sakhuja fought back to defeat 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 bin Ahmad Sibi 21-16, 16-21, 21-18.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published on Oct 17, 2026
Latest on Sportstar
Live Blog 2026-10-17T18:52:33+05:30
India vs West Indies, 5th T20I LIVE updates: Toss delayed due to persistant rain in Bengaluru- Para Asian Games: Manasi-Thulasimathi duo assure India of medal; Nagar enters quarterfinal round
Live Blog 2026-10-17T18:15:00+05:30
Brentford vs Liverpool LIVE — BRE v LIV, Premier League updates, streaming info
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.