The Indian para-badminton contingent returned with four medals from the Tokyo Paralympics and will return with five medals from the Paris Paralympics.
However, there is one major difference: India has women para shuttlers as Paralympic medalists for the first time.
Manisha Ramadass became the first-ever Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics with a bronze in the women’s singles SU5 category and three minutes later, Thulasimathi Murugesan made it two medals with a silver in the same category.
Later in the night, Nithya Sre Sivan would make it three medals.
While Thulasi battled her emotions after the silver, Manisha simultaneously fought her internal struggles as she took to the court for the bronze medal match.
Thulasimathi Murugesan- First-ever Indian to reach a final
Thulasi created history yesterday when she defeated compatriot Manisha Ramadass in the semi-finals and became the first-ever Indian woman para-shuttler to reach the final at the Paralympics.
She was up against the defending champion Xia Qiu Yang of China and led in the first game. However, Yang made a big comeback with six points and won the first game 21-17.
In the second game, Yang was dominant and clinched the gold medal with a 21-10 win in the second game.
Winning a silver medal is a difficult place for anyone in sports like Badminton. On one hand, the athlete has lost the gold medal; on the other hand, they have won a silver medal, making it difficult to process the emotions.
“I am a little disappointed as I couldn’t give my best today,” said Thulasi after the final. “However, I didn’t lose the gold, I won the silver medal,” she would say.
The journey from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu to the Paralympic podium hasn’t been an easy one for the 22-year-old shuttler. After suffering a congenital deformity in her left hand resulting in the loss of her thumb finger, chronic ulnar neuritis, and muscle atrophy, she suffered a severe injury sustained in a major accident further limiting the mobility of her left hand.
But as Thulasi made history, another Indian para-shuttler was also etching her name into the record books just minutes earlier.
Manisha Ramadass- India’s first-ever Woman badminton medalist
Manisha trumped her compatriot Thulasi by three minutes in the race to become the first-ever Indian woman badminton medalist at the Paralympics.
Playing the bronze medal match against Catherine Rosengren of Denmark in the same category, Manisha finished her match with a dominant win of 21-12, 21-8 over the Dane.
Manisha, who has suffered from Erb’s Palsy since her childhood, was emotional after her bronze medal win.
“I am feeling very happy and I don’t think I have any words,” a crying Manisha told the media after her historic win.
She believes that her anger after the semis loss fueled her aggression in the bronze medal game.
“I was disappointed about my semi-final loss and I was thinking about yesterday’s game this morning too. I was angry about my mistakes yesterday and I feel that anger came out in my game,” she said.
Inspired by Saina Nehwal, Manisha bows to come back stronger at the 2028 LA Paralympics and win the elusive gold medal for India in the category.
Together, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass have not only made history but also paved the way for more woman para-shuttlers in the country to take up the sport.