Nagoya: India’s Naveen Sivakumar and Nitesh Kumar clinched gold medals in men’s singles SL3 and SL4 categories, respectively, in para badminton at the Asian Para Games here on Friday.
Nitesh defeated compatriot Pramod Bhagat, who had won gold in the 2018 and 2022 editions, 21-18, 21-16 in the all-India final between two Paralympic champions.
Meanwhile, Thulasi Murugesan bagged a silver medal after losing the women’s singles SU5 final to Yang of China 21-18, 21-21-11
Thulasimathi is still contention for two gold medals as she will partner Nitesh in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final against Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani. Later, she will be in action in the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 final with Manasi Girishchandra Joshi to take on China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian.
In another match, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan signed off with silver after losing 12-21, 13-21 to China’s Li Fengmei in the women’s singles SH6 final.
In para badminton, SL3 is for players with significant lower-limb impairments who compete on a half court, while SL4 is for athletes with lower-limb impairments who have better walking and running balance. SU5 is for players with upper-limb impairments, while SH6 is for athletes with short stature.
India is competing across 11 sports in Aichi-Nagoya, with several Paralympic champions and medallists among the country’s leading contenders.
India arrived in Aichi-Nagoya after their best-ever Asian Para Games campaign at Hangzhou 2023, where Indian athletes won a record 111 medals – 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze – to finish fifth overall.
(IANS)
