India Shines at Paris Paralympics: Para-athletes Preethi, Nishad win silver and bronze; shuttlers Suhas, Manisha assure medals
Preethi Pal, a 23-year-old track and field athlete from Uttar Pradesh, made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at the Paralympics.
India's para-athletes continued their impressive performance at the Paris Paralympics on Sunday, securing two more medals and securing a place in the final for another.
Preethi Pal, a 23-year-old track and field athlete from Uttar Pradesh, made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at the Paralympics. She clinched a bronze medal in the 200m T35 category with a personal best time of 30.01 seconds. Her remarkable achievement comes despite facing significant physical challenges since birth.
Nishad Kumar, a 24-year-old high jumper from Himachal Pradesh, also secured a silver medal in the men's high jump T47 category. This is his second consecutive silver medal at the Paralympics, following his performance in Tokyo three years ago.
Shuttler Suhas Yathiraj, who won a silver medal in Tokyo, advanced to the final of the men's singles SL3 category, ensuring India's second consecutive medal in the sport. Another shuttler, Manisha Ramadass, also guaranteed a medal for India by reaching the semifinals.
Despite the impressive showings, star shooter Avani Lekhara missed out on defending her gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.
India's medal tally now stands at seven, including one gold, two silver, and four bronze, placing them at 27th in the overall rankings.
Strong Show by Shuttlers
Tokyo Games silver medallist Suhas Yathiraj is poised to become the first Indian shuttler to win back-to-back medals at the Paralympics after outplaying compatriot Sukant Kadam in straight games, securing a spot in the men's singles SL4 final. The 41-year-old IAS officer from the 2007 batch defeated Sukant 21-17, 21-12 to advance to the final.
Nitesh Kumar also ensured a medal in the SL3 category by defeating Japan's Daisuke Fujihara 21-16, 21-12 in the semifinal.
Meanwhile, in the women's singles SU5 category, 19-year-old Manisha, who has Erb's palsy affecting her right arm, set up an all-Indian semifinal against top seed Thulasimathi Murugesan, guaranteeing India at least a silver medal. Manisha defeated Japan's Mamiko Toyoda 21-13, 21-16 in the quarterfinals.
However, Mandeep Kaur and Palak Kohli were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Disappointment in Shooting
In shooting, India faced disappointment as Avani Lekhara, coming off her historic gold medal win, failed to qualify for the final in the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 event, finishing 11th. In the same event, Sidhartha Babu finished 28th, and in the SH2 category, Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna placed 26th.
Lekhara's sequence of scores read 105.7, 106.0, 104.1, 106.0, 104.8, 106.2, while Sidhartha had scores of 104.6, 103.8, 105.7, 104.9, 103.6, 105.7.
In SH1, athletes are able to hold their gun without difficulty and shoot from a standing or sitting position (in a wheelchair or chair).
Sidhartha aggregated 628.3 across six series.
Athletes classified in SH2 category are unable to hold their rifle independently, so they use a stand, but can aim by themselves and control the weapon when they shoot. Certain athletes may have an assistant to reload their gun.
Only the top eight from qualification progress to the final.
Archer Rakesh Kumar Advances to Quarterfinals
World No. 1 archer Rakesh Kumar secured his place in the quarterfinals of the Paralympics in the compound men open category after a tense shoot-off against Indonesia's Ken Swagumilang. Despite a slip in the final round, where Rakesh needed just a 9-point shot but scored an 8, the match ended in a 144-144 tie after five ends. In the shoot-off, the 39-year-old veteran held his nerve and delivered a perfect 10, while Ken managed an 8, allowing Rakesh to advance.
Source: moneycontrol
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