Paris: The Indian women's singles para-badminton campaign at the current Paris Paralympics has gained significant momentum on Thursday, with para-shuttlers Palak Kohli, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manisha Ramdass, and Nithya Sre securing victories in their respective group stage matches.
Palak, positioned in SL4 Group C, emerged victorious over France's Milenna Surreau with a score of 21-12, 21-14.
Thulasimathi, placed in Group A of the SU5 category, along with Manisha Ramdass, also achieved notable victories.
Thulasimathi defeated Italy's Rosa De Marco with scores of 21-9, 21-11, while Manisha outplayed France's Maud Lefort with scores of 8-21, 21-6, 21-19.
Nithya, situated in Group A of the SH6 category, defeated Jayci Simon of the USA with scores of 21-7, 21-8.
With the exception of Nithya, who has three matches remaining, the other players are left with two matches each, which will determine their eligibility for the knockout stages.
In the earlier stages of the women's badminton competition, Manasi Joshi, a gold medalist at the World Championships 2019, faced off against Indonesia's Qontiah Ikhitar Syakuroh. Despite initially taking the first game, Syakuroh managed to secure victories in the subsequent two sets, defeating Manasi (21-16, 13-21, 18-21) in the first round.
In another match, Mandeep Kaur, representing Group B, encountered a formidable challenge from Nigeria's Mariam Eniola Bolaji. Mandeep was defeated by Nigerian in two consecutive games by scores of 8-21, 14-21, leading to her exit from the competition.
Both Indian para-shuttlers are scheduled to play two matches each in their groups, and their success in these matches will be crucial for their chances of advancing to the knockout stages.
This year, India has fielded its largest delegation to the Paralympics, consisting of 84 athletes across 12 sports, reflecting the country's growing presence in the para-sports arena.
India's participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics is not only a significant increase in terms of numbers but also in terms of medal aspirations, with the nation aiming to exceed its achievements in Tokyo.
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics were India's most successful Games, with the country securing a total of 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver, and six bronze medals.
