Manasi-Thulasimathi make semis, assure India of para badminton medal

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Badminton player from Tamil Nadu and Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games’ silver medalist Thulasimathi Murugesan. | Photo Credit: PTI

Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan assured India of a medal for the second successive edition, securing a semifinal berth in women's doubles SL3-SU5 at the Asian Para Games here on Saturday (October 17, 2026).

The Indian duo, who had bagged a silver at the Hangzhou edition in 2023, defeated China's Yuemei Liu and Tongtong Li 21-10, 21-17 to register their second successive win and confirm a top-two finish in Group A with a match to spare.

With both losing semifinalists assured of bronze, the victory guaranteed India a place on the podium.

Joshi and Thulasimathi had earlier defeated Indonesia's Rahayu Warining and Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh on Friday. They will face China's Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian in their final group match on Monday.

The SL3-SU5 doubles event is a combined standing category for players with lower- or upper-limb impairments.

Tokyo Paralympics champion Krishna Nagar also notched his second successive win in the men's singles SH6 group stage to secure a quarterfinal berth.

Nagar defeated Indonesia's Subhan 21-13, 21-15 to confirm a top-two finish in Group C, with one group match still to play. The SH6 category is for players of short stature.

India enjoyed several other wins across the singles events, with Paris Paralympics champion Nitesh Kumar and Tokyo Paralympics winner Pramod Bhagat faring strongly in men's singles SL3, a category for players with lower-limb impairments who compete standing up.

Nitesh defeated Thailand's Natthapol Chamnanwet 21-6, 21-7, while Bhagat beat China's Xiong Lichuan 21-17, 21-16.

Umesh Vikram Kumar also defeated the Philippines' Khian Kyle Urbano 21-10, 21-12.

In men's singles SL4, which features standing players with less severe lower-limb impairments, Naveen Sivakumar beat Indonesia's Hikmat Ramdani 21-12, 21-10, while Surya Kant Yadav defeated Japan's Koki Ogawa 21-6, 21-19.

Sukant Kadam overcame South Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan 21-17, 18-21, 21-9, and Abhijeet Sakhuja rallied to beat Thailand's Siripong Teamarrom 19-21, 21-16, 21-10.