India signed off on their badminton campaign at the Asian Para Games in stellar fashion, capturing three gold medals on Friday. Spearheaded by Paris Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar and debutant Naveen Sivakumar, the contingent wrapped up the continental showpiece with an impressive total of 16 medals, which included three gold, five silver, and eight bronze finishes across various categories.
Dominant Singles and Doubles Showdowns
Nitesh Kumar led the charge by claiming the men’s singles SL3 gold medal following a hard-fought 21-18, 21-16 victory over compatriot and Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist Pramod Bhagat. Later in the day, debutant Naveen Sivakumar added another top-podium finish by overcoming Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17 in a swift 36-minute encounter to claim the men’s singles SL4 title. Meanwhile, Thulasimathi Murugesan paired up with Manasi Joshi to deliver the third gold, defeating China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian 21-16, 21-13 in the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 final.
- Nitesh Kumar defeated Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 to secure the men’s singles SL3 gold.
- Naveen Sivakumar triumphed over Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17 to claim the men’s singles SL4 title on his Games debut.
- Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi edged past China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian 21-16, 21-13 for women’s doubles gold.
- India ended the continental campaign with 16 total medals comprising 3 gold, 5 silver, and 8 bronze.
Reflecting on Campaign Success and Milestones
Thulasimathi Murugesan enjoyed a remarkably busy schedule, adding two silver medals to her gold by finishing as runner-up in the women’s singles SU5 and partnering with Nitesh for a silver in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 event. Other notable podium finishes included Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan settling for silver in the women’s singles SH6 category after a tough contest against China’s Li Fengmei. The strong showing underscores India’s rising dominance and depth in international para badminton disciplines ahead of upcoming global fixtures.
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