Manisha Ramadass Reaches Badminton Semi-Finals, Keeps India's Medal Hopes Alive At Paris Paralympics 2024

Indian para-shuttler Manisha Ramadass advanced to the semi-finals at the Paris Paralympics, aiming to add to India's medal tally, which currently stands at five.

Indian para-shuttler Manisha Ramadass advanced to the semi-final after beating Japan's Mamiko Toyoda in the women's singles DU5 quarterfinal match at the ongoing Paris Paralympics on Sunday. In the first game, Manisha dominated over her Japanese opponent and won it 13-21. The Indian shuttler continued to maintain her momentum and won it 16-21. The match lasted for 30 minutes.

With Manisha confirming her place in the semi-final, India hopes to add another medal to their tally. India has secured a total of five medals at the ongoing Paris Paralympics, with one gold medal, a silver, and three bronze medals.

Rubina finished third and bagged a bronze medal in the P2-Women's 10M Air Pistol SH-1 final on Saturday. She gathered a total of 211.1 points in the final. Javanmardi Sareh of Iran finished with gold (236.8 points) and Turkey's Ozgan Aysel went on to win the silver medal (231.1 points).

On Friday, reigning Paralympic champion, Avani Lekhara maintained her streak and struck gold in the women's 10m air rifle final at the ongoing Paris Paralympics. Shooter Mona Agarwal bagged the bronze medal at the same event.

India's silver medal came in shooting as well, with Manish Narwal getting a silver in the men's P1 10 m air pistol SH1 competition. Athlete Preethi Pal secured a bronze medal in the women's T35 100 m race after clocking 14.21 seconds, which is also her personal best.

This year, India has sent its largest Paralympics contingent ever, comprising 84 athletes across 12 sports, a testament to the country's expanding para-sports ecosystem. India's participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics marks not only a significant increase in numbers but also in medal hopes, as the nation aims to surpass its previous achievements in Tokyo.