Paris Paralympics 2024: Manisha Ramdass Keeps Medals Hopes Alive, Avani Lekhara Falters In Qualification

Paris: 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 2024 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.

Rakshita Raju Out Of Women’s 1500m T11 Race

On the other hand, India’s Rakshita Raju bowed out in the opening round of women’s 1500m T11 athletics event. Rakshita, 23, finished last out of four runners in Heat 3 after clocking a timing of 5:29.92s. The two runners from the three heats qualified for the final.

China’s Shanshan He topped Rakshita’s heat with a timing of 4:44.66s ahead of Louzanne Coetzee of South Africa, who clocked season best timing of 4:45.25s. The T11 category is for athletes with visual impairment, which may be entire loss of vision or he or she may be able to perceive light, but have no ability to see the shape of a hand at any distance. T11 athletes commonly run with guides.

Avani Lekhara Finishes 11th In Qualification

Indian shooters Avani Lekhara finished 11th while Sidhartha Babu ended 28th and were unable to make the final of the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH1) event in Chateauroux on Sunday. Coming off her historic gold medal in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, Avani could not replicate that form despite a strong start in what is not her pet event, and ended the competition with a total score of 632.8.

Sidhartha aggregated 628.3 across six series. Avani’s sequence of scores read 105.7, 106.0, 104.1, 106.0, 104.8, 106.2, while Sidhartha had scores of 104.6, 103.8, 105.7, 104.9, 103.6 and 105.7. On Friday, Avani, the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic gold medals with her victory in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) event, had defended her title with a world record score.