File image of Manisha Ramdass© X (Twitter)
Shuttler Manisha Ramdass kept India’s medal hopes alive by progressing to the women’s single semifinals in SU5 category but Mandeep Kaur and Palak Kohli were eliminated from the Paris Paralympics following contrasting defeats in their respective quarterfinals on Sunday. 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 quarterfinal. The second seed Indian left-hander needed 30 minutes to down her unseeded rival.
In SU5 category, the players have impairment of the upper limbs. The impairment could be on the playing or non-playing hand.
Competing in SL3 category, Mandeep hardly posed a challenge to Nigeria’s third seed Bolaji Mariam Eniola, losing the contest 8-21 9-21 in 23 minutes.
It was the second consecutive defeat for Mandeep against Eniola, having lost to the Nigerian in the Group stage as well.
SL3 category is for players with severe lower-limb disability competing on a half-width court.
In SL4 category, para world championship bronze medallist Palak went down fighting 19-21 15-21 to Indonesia’s Khalimatus Sadiyah in 28 minutes.
SL4 is a class for athletes competing standing with less severe impairment than in SL3.
Later in the day, Nithya Sivan Sumathy will compete in the last-eight stage in SH6 category against Poland’s Oliwia Szmigiel.
The men’s singles semifinal in SL4 category will be an all-Indian affair with Suhas Yathiraj and Sukant Kadam clashing against each other.
Nitesh Kumar will fight it out with Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the men’s singles semifinal in SL3 category.
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