Four Nations Para Badminton International: Nithya Sre and Thulasimathi Murugesan crowned champions
Indian shuttlers won two gold and six silver medals on the finals day at the Four Nations Para Badminton International in Glasgow.
Thulasimathi Murugesan won gold medal at 4 Nations Para Badminton International in Glasgow.
Nithya Sre and Thulasimathi Murugesan were crowned champions at the Four Nations Para-Badminton International 2024 in Emirates Arena. However, Paralympic medalists Krishna Nagar and Suhas Yathiraj had to settle for silver medals in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday.
Asian Para Games champion Thulasimathi Murugesan took the gold medal in the women's singles SU5 category after an easy straight-game win (21-8, 21-14) in the final match against compatriot Manisha Ramadass. This victory will boost her confidence as she heads toward the Paris Paralympics.
Earlier, Nithya Sre Sivan won the first gold medal for India in the women's singles SH6 category after a tight three-game win (21-16, 15-21, 21-17) against former world number one Giuliana Poveda Flores of Peru in the final.
However, she could not maintain this momentum in the mixed doubles SH6 final, partnering with Sivarajan Solaimalai. They conceded a straight-game (12-21, 15-21) defeat to the Indonesian pairing of Rina Marlina and Subhan.
Meanwhile, Mansi Joshi had to settle for the silver medal in the women's singles SL3 category as she lost her final match to Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh of Indonesia in a straight-game (6-21, 12-21) affair.
Missed Chances in Men's Singles
Indian male shuttlers could not replicate the performance of their female counterparts and settled for three silver medals in this Grade 1 tournament.
Paralympic champion Krishna Nagar was very close to winning in the final but made an unforced error on match point, conceding a tight three-set defeat (14-21, 21-17, 19-21) to Chu Man Kai of Hong Kong in the men's singles SH6 category.
On the other hand, world champion Suhas Yathiraj and world medalist Nitesh Kumar lost their respective finals in straight games to tough opponents.
Suhas conceded a challenging straight-game defeat (7-21, 11-21) to Paralympic champion Lucas Mazur of France in the men's singles SL4 category, while Nitesh faced a tough challenge (11-21, 7-21) from Daniel Bethell of England in the men's singles SL3 category.
This was the final major event for all the shuttlers before heading towards the Paris Paralympics in August later this year. Their performances at the event will help them gain valuable ranking points, improving their seeding at Paris.