New Delhi, Apr 25 (Badminton News) Tarun Dhillon and Sukant Kadam clinched a gold and silver respectively in SL4 class, while Tokyo Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat bagged two bronze in SL3 as the Indian team secured 28 medals at the Brazil Para Badminton International in Sao Paulo.

In total, the Indian para badminton squad clinched 8 gold, 7 silver and 13 bronze to sign off a creditable campaign on Sunday.

In SL4 category, world No. 3 Kadam defeated Germany's Marcel Adam 21-19 21-13 but he went down to fellow Indian Tarun in the final.

Both Tarun and Kadam fought till the end but it was the former who emerged victories in the end, claiming a 21-17 20-22 21-18 win to capture the yellow metal.

Kadam said: "I am disappointed by the result a little as I had given my everything in the game. I think Tarun played really well and held nerves at crucial points. Every tournament I am playing, my game is improving and I am happy with the progress." World No. 1 Bhagat also went down to compatriot Kumar Nitesh 7-21 21-19 19-21 in a closely fought 50-minute match.

Nitesh went on to win the gold, defeating Japan's Daisuke Fujihara with a score line of 21-15 18-21 21-18.

In the mixed doubles, Pramod and Palak Kohli went down fighting to Japan's Daisuke Fujihara and Akiko Sugino in three sets.

Apart from Nitesh and Tarun, Parul Parmar (SL3), Jyoti Verma (SL4), Manisha Ramdas (SU5), Hardik Makkar-Ruthik Raghupathi (SU5), Arwaz Ansari-Deep Ranjan Bisoyee (SL3-SL4) and Manisha Ramdas-Mandeep Kaur (SL3-SU5) also won gold medals at the tournament.

Prem Kumar Ale (WH1), Mandeep Kaur (SL3), Nithya Sre (SH6), Palak Kohli-Parul Parmar (SL3-SU5), Chirag Baretha-Mandeep Kaur (SL3-SU5) and Tarun Dhillon-Nitesh Kumar (SL3-SL4) also returned with silver medals.

Among bronze winners, Manoj Sarkar (SL3), Nilesh Gaikwad (SL4), Dhingaram (SH6), Ammu Mohan (WH2), Manoj Sarkar-Vikram Kumar (SL3-SL4), Chirag Baretha-Nilesh Gaikwad (SU5), Prem Kumar Ale-Abu Hubaida (WH1-WH2), Shashank Kumar-Ammu Mohan (WH1-WH2), Ammu Mohan (WH1-WH2), Arati Patil (SL3-SU5) and Nithya Sre-Latatai Umrekar (SH6) and Pramod Bhagat-Palak Kohli (SL3-SU5) were the prominent names. 

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News Source : PTI

Tokyo, Sep 5 (Paralympics news): The Indian mixed doubles duo of Pramod Bhagat and Palak Kohli suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Japan's Daisuke Fujihara and Akiko Sugino in their bronze-medal play-off match of the Paralympics here on Sunday.

The Indian duo lost 21-23 19-21 to their Japanese opponents in the SL3-SU5 class final that lasted 37 minutes to end their campaign at fourth place.

They had earlier lost the semifinals 3-21 15-21 to te Indonesian combination of Hary Susanto and Leani Ratri Oktila.

The two pairs were neck-and-neck throughout the match. The Indians were 10-8 up in the first game but the Japanese came back strongly to level at 10-10.

After that, the score-line read 14-14, 18-18 and then 20-20. The Indians were up 21-20 but then eventually lost 21-23.

In the second game also, the two pairs were on equal footing and 10-10 at the midway point before the Japanese surged ahead to win 21-19 and pocket the bronze.

The 33-year-old Bhagat on Saturday claimed India's first badminton gold at the Paralympics in men's singles SL3 class.

It was 19-year-old Kohli's debut Paralympics.

In SL3 class, shuttlers with minor lower limb impairment play standing while players with upper limb impairment play standing in SL5.

Also read: Navdeep just misses out on a medal as he finished 4th in men's Javelin throw

News source: PTI 

Tokyo, Sep 5 (Paralympic news): India's Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj ended his campaign with a historic silver after going down fighting against top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the men's singles SL4 class final at the Tokyo Paralympics here on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Noida district magistrate, who has an impairment in one of his ankles, produced an entertaining performance before narrowly going down 21-15 17-21 15-21 to two-time world champion Mazur in a 62-minute summit clash.

Suhas had lost to Mazur, who has won three gold medals in European Championships as well, in the qualifying group A match but the India made a tremendous effort in the final to challenge his world No. 1 rival.

The district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) thus also became the first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics.

Suhas had earlier outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in the semifinal.

In SL4 bronze medal play-off, second seed Tarun Dhillon went down 17-21 11-21 to Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan in 32 minutes to miss out of a medal at the Totogi national stadium.

A computer engineer, Suhas went on to become an IAS officer and has been posted as a district magistrate of Noida since 2020, a role that saw him at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

On court, he has won gold medals at 2017 BWF Turkish Para badminton championship in men's singles and men's doubles. He also won gold in 2016 Asia championships, besides a bronze at 2018 Asian Para Games. More medals are in store for India as Krishna Nagar also sailed into the men's singles SH6 class final.

Pramod Bhagat, 33, and his partner Palak Kohli, 19, will meet Japanese pair of Daisuke Fujihara and Akiko Sugino in the bronze medal play off in mixed doubles SL3-SU5 class later on Sunday.

They had lost the semifinals 3-21 15-21 to Indonesian combination of Hary Susanto and Leani Ratri Oktila.

Bhagat on Saturday had claimed India's first gold at the Paralympics in men's singles SL3 class.

Also read: How the International Paralympics Committee stripped off medals from two Paralympic athletes

News source: PTI 

(Paralympic news) Para-Shuttler Manoj Sarkar has won the bronze medal in the badminton men's singles SL3 in Tokyo after defeating Daisuke Fujihara from japan in straight sets.

Sarkar started his campaign with a 2-1 loss to fellow countryman Pramod Bhagat. He came back with a 2-0 win over Uruguay's Oleksandr Chyrkov to qualify for the Semi-finals. In the Semi-finals Sarkar fell short against Daniel Bethell as he lost straight sets 21-8 and 21-10.

The first set was incredibly tight and went on for 27 minutes. The Indian had a 5 point lead at one point he ended up winning 22-20. In the 2nd set Sarkar dominated the court winning 21-13 to secure the Bronze medal. The win confirmed India's record 17th medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

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Tokyo, Sep 4 (Paralympic news) The Indian trioka of Pramod Bhagat, Suhas Yathiraj and Krishna Nagar sailed into the men's singles finals of the badminton event in their respective classifications at the Tokyo Paralympics here on Saturday.

Among other Indians in the fray, Manoj Sarkar and Tarun Dhillon couldn't go the distance, suffering contrasting losses in their respective semifinal match. The duo will play in the bronze medal play off later in the day.

The 33-year-old Bhagat, the current world no 1, secured a 21-11 21-16 win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semifinals that lasted 36 minutes.

The top seeded Indian, current world and Asian champion, will lock horns with Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the summit clash later in the day.

In SL4 class, Suhas outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in 31 minutes in the first semifinal.

The Noida District Magistrate will face top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the final on Sunday.

Krishna, seeded second, also dished out a superlative performance, outplaying Great Britain's Krysten Coombs 21-10 21-11 in the SH6 class semifinals.

The 22-year-old Indian will cross swords with Hong Kong's Chu Man Kai in the final on Sunday.

In the other SL4 class semifinal, Mazur managed to stave off a spirited effort from Tarun, claiming a narrow 21-16 16-21 21-18 win over the second seeded Indian in a gruelling semifinal that lasted an hour and three minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

The 27-year-old from Hisar will face Setiawan in the bronze medal play off on Sunday.

Manoj too couldn't get into any sort of rhythm against second seeded Bethell, going down 8-21 10-21 in the other men's singles SL3 class semifinals.

The 31-year-old will now play Fujihara in the bronze medal play-off later in the day.

Earlier in the day, with only half of the court being used in SL3 classification, Bhagat and Fujihara engaged in a lot of long rallies and the Indian came up on top most of the time.

Bhagat, the top seed, trailed 2-4 early in the opening game but a series of overhead drops helped him claw back. The duo were 8-8 before the Indian entered the interval at 11-8.

Also read: Shuttlers Bhagat, Suhas enter badminton finals as Manoj and Tarun lose in semifinals at the Tokyo Paralympics 

After the break, he continued his good run and eventually pocketed the opening game with six straight points.

It was a Bhagat show in the second game as well as the Indian led all the way to come up trumps.

Bhagat will pair up with Palak Kohli for their mixed doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals later in the day.

"It was a great game against Fujihara, he pushed me with some great shots. But I had a plan and I executed it very well. I am happy I have reached my maiden Paralympic finals but the work is not done yet," said Bhagat after his match.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete. SH6 classification refers to short stature impairment. 

News source: PTI

Tokyo, Sep 4 (Paralympic news) live update: Indian shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Suhas Yathiraj stormed into the men's singles finals of the badminton event in their respective classifications but Manoj Sarkar and Tarun Dhillon suffered contrasting losses in their semifinal match at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Bhagat, the current world no 1, secured a 21-11 21-16 win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semifinals that lasted 36 minutes.

The top seeded Indian, current world and Asian champion, will lock horns with Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the summit clash later in the day.

In SL4 class, Suhas outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in 31 minutes in the first semifinal.

The Noida District Magistrate will face top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the final on Sunday.

Mazur managed to stave off a spirited effort from Tarun, claiming a narrow 21-16 16-21 21-18 win over the second seeded Indian in a gruelling semifinal that lasted an hour and three minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

The 27-year-old from Hisar will face Setiawan in the bronze medal play off on Sunday.

Manoj too couldn't get into any sort of rhythm against second seeded Bethell, going down 8-21 10-21 in the other men's singles SL3 class semifinals.

The 31-year-old will now play Fujihara in the bronze medal play-off later in the day.

With only half of the court being used in this classification, Bhagat and Fujihara engaged in a lot of long rallies and the Indian came up on top most of the time.

Bhagat, the top seed, trailed 2-4 early in the opening game but a series of overhead drops helped him claw back. The duo were 8-8 before the Indian entered the interval at 11-8.

After the break, he continued his good run and eventually pocketed the opening game with six straight points.

It was a Bhagat show in the second game as well as the Indian led all the way to come up trumps.

Bhagat will pair up with Palak Kohli for their mixed doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals later in the day.

"It was a great game against Fujihara, he pushed me with some great shots. But I had a plan and I executed it very well. I am happy I have reached my maiden Paralympic finals but the work is not done yet," said Bhagat after his match.

Bhagat, who had developed a defect on his left leg after contracting polio at the age of 5, has won a total of 45 international medals, including four world championship gold medals.

He won two gold medals and a bronze in men's singles, besides two gold medals and a silver in men's doubles at the BWF Para World Championships in the last eight years.

In the 2019 edition at Basel, Bhagat had won gold medals in both singles and doubles events.

In the 2018 Asian Para Games, he won two medals -- a gold and a bronze. He topped it up with two gold medals and one silver at the IWAS World games in 2019.

He clinched two gold medals at the BWF Para World Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland in 2019.

This year, Bhagat had claimed two gold medals at the Dubai Para Badminton tournament in April when the sport returned after a year-long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bhagat won the singles gold and also paired up with Manoj Sarkar to clinch the men's doubles gold in SL4-SL3 category.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete.

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News Source: PTI