PARIS: India para shuttler Manasi Joshi crashed out of the women’s singles SL3 Group A match after Ukraine’s Oksana Kozyna scripted a remarkable comeback at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in the ongoing Paralympics.
Just like her opening match in Group A, Manasi went ahead in the opening set but lost the next two, which led to her defeat.
Manasi began the proceedings on a dominant note, taking control of the opening set by maintaining a healthy gap. Within the blink of an eye, she raced to a 21-10 win in the opening set to go 1-0 up.
In the second set, Oksana responded brilliantly and turned the tide with an impressive overall display. She pushed Manasi on the back foot and restored parity at 1-1 with a 15-21 win.
In the match decider, Manasi settled her nerves and looked well set to walk away with the win. However, Oksana had different plans. She overcame the deficit of three points towards the end and took away the match with a 21-23 win. The defeat ensured Manasi’s exit from the event.
On Thursday, the World Championships 2019 gold medalist squared off against Indonesia’s Qontiah Ikhitar Syakuroh. Despite Manasi taking the first game, Syakuroh bounced back in the next two sets to beat Manasi (21-16, 13-21, 18-21) in the first round.
In the second game on Thursday, in Group B’s encounter, Mandeep squared off against Nigeria’s Mariam Eniola Bolaji. Mandeep fell to Nigerian in two successive games by 8-21, 14-21.
This year, India has sent its largest contingent ever to the Paralympics, 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.
In the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the Indian badminton contingent secured a total of four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze medal.
Tokyo 2020 was India’s most successful Paralympic Games, with the country winning 19 medals, including five golds, eight silver and six bronzes. (ANI)