Shuttler Pramod creates history, Manoj finishes 3rd

Tokyo

World No.1 Pramod humbled second seed Daniel Bethell of Great Britain 21-14, 21-17 in the summit clash which lasted 45 minutes while Manoj defeated Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara 22-20, 21-13 in the third place play-off. With badminton making its debut at the Paralympics in this edition, Pramod became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the sport. “This is very special. It is a dream come true for me. Bethell really pushed me, but I just kept my calm and played to my strengths,” said Pramod after clinching India’s fourth gold medal at the Tokyo Games. The 31-year-old Manoj displayed great resilience during his straight-game win over Fujihara. Bhagat and his partner Palak Kohli will meet Japanese pair of Daisuke Fujihara and Akiko Sugino in the bronze medal play off on Sunday.