In a remarkable display of skill, India’s Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass secured silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the women’s singles SU5 badminton class at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Thulasimathi Murugesan, the top seed, earned silver after a hard-fought final against China’s Yang Qiu Xia, the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist. Yang proved too strong, winning 21-17, 21-10 in 30 minutes. Murugesan’s impressive run to the final was highlighted by her win over Ramadass in the semi-finals.
Manisha Ramadass, 19, clinched the bronze medal by defeating Denmark’s third seed Cathrine Rosengren 21-12, 21-8 in just 25 minutes. This achievement marks the first Paralympic medal for an Indian woman in badminton.
With these medals, India’s tally at the Paris 2024 Paralympics rises to 11, marking the second time in history the country has surpassed the 10-medal milestone. Earlier in the day, Nitesh Kumar won India’s first badminton gold medal in the SL3 class.
Athletes in the SU5 class compete with impairments affecting their upper limbs. Thulasimathi is a veterinary science student and a gold medalist at the Asian Para Games, while Ramadass is a 2022 world champion in the category.
