Manasi-Thulasimathi make semis, assure India of medal
In Short
Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan assured India of a medal for the second successive edition, securing a semifinal berth in women’s doubles SL3-SU5 at the Asian Para Games here on Saturday.
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Manasi-Thulasimathi make semis, assure India of medal
Nagoya: Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan assured India of a medal for the second successive edition, securing a semifinal berth in women’s doubles SL3-SU5 at the Asian Para Games here on Saturday. The Indian duo, who had bagged a silver 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 assured of bronze, the victory guaranteed 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 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 notched 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 match still to play. The SH6 category is for players of short stature.
India recorded several victories across singles and doubles events, alongside a series of defeats, in the badminton competition. In men’s singles SL3, Paris Paralympics champion Nitesh Kumar beat Thailand’s Natthapol Chamnanwet 21-6, 21-7, while Tokyo Paralympics winner Pramod Bhagat defeated China’s Xiong Lichuan 21-17, 21-16. Umesh Vikram Kumar beat the Philippines’ Khian Kyle Urbano 21-10, 21-12.
In SL4, Naveen Sivakumar defeated Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani 21-12, 21-10; Surya Kant Yadav beat 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 defeated Thailand’s Siripong Teamarrom 19-21, 21-16, 21-10.
In men’s SU5, Ruthick Ragupathi beat Japan’s Wataru Kanai 21-12, 21-13, while Hardik Makkar overcame Malaysia’s Amyrul Yazid bin Ahmad Sibi 21-16, 16-21, 21-18.
In wheelchair singles, WH1 player Prem Kumar Ale defeated UAE’s Omair Younas 20-22, 21-9, 21-10. In WH2, Haris Mythili beat Indonesia’s Wiwin Andri 21-13, 21-17, while Abu Hubaida lost to Japan’s Reo Oyama 13-21, 11-21.
In men’s SH6, alongside Nagar’s win, Sivarajan Solaimalai defeated Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Yim 21-13, 21-14. Sudarsan Muthusamy lost to Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai 8-21, 6-21.
