Indian athletes have made significant strides at the Paris Paralympics, highlighted by Olympic wrestler Suhas Yathiraj’s impressive performance and a series of mixed results from other competitors.
Suhas Yathiraj, the Tokyo Games silver medallist, has set the stage for unprecedented glory by advancing to the men’s singles SL4 final for a second consecutive time. The 41-year-old IAS officer defeated compatriot Sukant Kadam in straight games, 21-17, 21-12, securing his place in the final. Suhas aims to become the first Indian shuttler to win back-to-back medals at the Paralympics.
In addition to Suhas, Nitesh Kumar ensured a medal for India in the SL3 category by winning his semifinal match against Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara with scores of 21-16, 21-12.
Manisha Ramadass also contributed to India’s medal tally by reaching the women’s singles SU5 semifinal, guaranteeing at least a silver for India. The 19-year-old, who was born with Erb’s palsy, defeated Japan’s Mamiko Toyoda 21-13, 21-16. Manisha will face top seed Thulasimathi Murugesan in the semifinals.
However, there were setbacks as well. Mandeep Kaur and Palak Kohli were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Mandeep, competing in the SL3 category, lost to Nigeria’s third seed Bolaji Mariam Eniola 8-21, 9-21. Palak, a para world championship bronze medallist, fell to Indonesia’s Khalimatus Sadiyah 19-21, 15-21.
In shooting, Avani Lekhara, who won gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, did not advance to the final in the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH1) qualification, finishing in 11th place. Similarly, Sidhartha Babu ended 28th, and Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna finished 26th in the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH2) qualification.
Ravi Rongali finished fifth in the men’s F40 shot put final with a personal best throw of 10.63m. The gold was claimed by Portugal’s Miguel Montero with 11.21m. Rakshita Raju was eliminated in the women’s 1500m T11 race, finishing last in her heat with a time of 5:29.92s.
The F40 class is for athletes with short stature, while the T11 category is for those with visual impairment. The top performances of the day have been complemented by strong efforts from the Indian contingent, though not all results met expectations.
As India continues to make its mark at the Paris Paralympics, athletes and supporters remain hopeful for further success in the coming events.
