Nagoya, Oct 24:
Indian para-badminton player Thulasimathi Murugesan capped a memorable day at the Asian Para Games by winning gold in the women’s doubles event and adding two silver medals to her collection in Nagoya, Japan, on Friday. The 24-year-old Paris Paralympics silver medallist combined with Manasi Joshi to clinch the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 title.
The Indian pair defeated China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian 21-16, 21-13 in a final that lasted 28 minutes. Their composed performance secured the gold medal and provided a fitting finish to Thulasimathi’s campaign in the event.
Earlier, Thulasimathi had won silver in the women’s singles SU5 final, losing 18-21, 11-21 to China’s Yang Qiuxia. She then partnered Nitesh Kumar in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final, where the Indian duo went down 21-11, 19-21, 14-21 to Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani.
The gold and two silver medals underlined Thulasimathi’s contribution to India’s campaign at the Games. The SL3-SU5 doubles category brings together athletes from the standing lower-limb and standing upper-limb sport classes, making the competition a test of adaptability, coordination and teamwork.