Paralympics: Nitesh reaches men’s singles SL3 final in badminton
The 29-year-old Nitesh, who overcame permanent leg damage from a 2009 accident, showed his dominance with a 21-16, 21-12 win over Fujihara in a 48-minute semifinal.
Representative image (PTI)
PARIS: Top-seeded Indian shuttler Nitesh Kumar secured a medal in men’s singles SL3 category after a commanding straight-game win over Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the semifinals at the Paris Paralympics on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Nitesh, who overcame permanent leg damage from a 2009 accident, showed his dominance with a 21-16, 21-12 win over Fujihara in a 48-minute semifinal.
The IIT Mandi graduate thus ensured that India return with a medal from the SL3 category, after Pramod Bhagat clinched the gold when para badminton made its debut three years ago in Tokyo.
SL3 class players, like Nitesh, compete with more severe lower limb disabilities, requiring play on a half-width court.
In the summit clash, Nitesh will face Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell, who beat Thailand’s Bunsun Mongkhon 21-7, 21-9 in the other semifinal.
Bethell, who was the runner-up to Pramod Bhagat in the Tokyo Paralympics, is a formidable opponent, setting the stage for an electrifying final on Monday.
Meanwhile, Manisha Ramadass assured India of a second medal from the badminton courts by setting up the women’s singles SU5 semifinal with compatriot Thulasimathi Murugesan but star shooter Avani Lekhara missed out on repeating her medal-winning feat at the Paris Paralympics.
The 19-year-old Manisha, who was born with Erb’s palsy which affected her right arm, had no trouble in dispatching Japan’s Mamiko Toyoda 21-13, 21-16 in the quarterfinals. The second seeded Indian left-hander needed 30 minutes to down her unseeded rival.
In the last four, Manisha will meet top seed Thulasimathi, who had defeated Portugal’s Beatriz Monteiro in group A on Saturday.
RAKESH SHINES IN ARCHERY
World No 1 archer Rakesh Kumar overcame a blip to defeat Ken Swagumilang of Indonesia in the shoot-off and enter his successive Paralympics quarterfinals in the compound men open category.
In a battle between the top-two world ranked archers, Rakesh held his slender one-point lead and needed a 9-point to seal the issue in five ends. But he slipped with an 8-pointer red-ring, leaving both the archers locked at 144-144 after regulation five ends comprising 15 arrows.
In the ensuing shootoff, the 39-year-old veteran held his nerve to shoot a perfect 10, while Ken managed an 8.