Day 1 at the Paris Paralympics was fruitful for India. The Indian shuttlers delivered a power-packed performance on Thursday. On the first day of the games, the archers also showcased their best.
Paralympic debutants Sukant Kadam and Sheetal Devi impressed the audience with their stellar performances. The armless archer, Sheetal Devi, set a world record, but it was short-lived as the Turkish archer broke it with a score of one point higher in the Para-Archery compound ranking round.
While India saw some successful results, some shuttlers and archers did not perform as expected, though they still put up a commendable show in Paris.
Para-Archery: Sheetal shines on the global stage
Good news came from para-archery as Indian para-archers Sheetal Devi and Sarita secured second and ninth places, respectively, in the women’s individual compound open ranking round. Seventeen-year-old Sheetal Devi, who shoots using her legs due to being born without arms, achieved a personal best score of 703. She finished just one point behind Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi, who set a new world record with a score of 704.
In the men’s recurve ranking round, Harvinder Singh ended the qualification round with a score of 637, placing him in ninth position. In the individual compound open ranking round, Indian para-archers Rakesh Kumar and Shyam Sundar Swami finished in 5th and 15th positions, respectively. Pooja finished 7th in the Women’s Individual Recurve Open Ranking Round.
Para-Badminton: A day of ups and downs
India’s para-badminton contingent delivered an action-packed performance. In the Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 Group Play Stage – Group A, Nitesh Kumar and Murugesan Thulasimathi triumphed over compatriots Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli in straight sets (21-14, 21-17).
However, the day was not without setbacks. Second seeds Sivarajan Solaimalai and Nithya Sre Sivan lost to the American duo Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon in their Mixed Doubles SH6 group opener. In the Women’s Singles SL3 Group Play Stage – Group B, Mandeep faced Mariam Eniola Bolaji but was defeated in straight games (21-8, 21-14).
Manasi Joshi won the first game against Indonesia’s Qontiah Ikhitar Syakuroh but ultimately lost 2-1 (16-21, 21-13, 21-18) in the Women’s Singles SL3 Group Play Stage – Group A.
On a positive note, Suhas Yathiraj delivered a commanding performance, defeating Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani with scores of (21-7, 21-5) in the Men’s Singles SL4 Group Play Stage – Group A. Sukant Kadam staged a remarkable comeback after losing the first game to win 22-20, overcoming Malaysia’s Mohd Amin Burhanuddin with scores of 17-21, 21-15, 22-20 in the Men’s Singles SL4 Group B match.
India’s Tarun also secured a win in the men’s singles Group D match, defeating Brazil’s Oliveira 21-17, 21-19 and advancing to the next round. Later, Nitesh Kumar edged out compatriot Manoj Sarkar with scores of 21-13, 18-21, 21-18 at La Chapelle Arena Court 3. Second seed Thulasimathi Murugesan won her first match in the Women’s Singles SU5 Group A against Italy’s Rosa Efomo de Marco with scores of 21-9, 21-11 at La Chapelle Arena Court 1.
In contrast, Sivarajan Solaimalai fell short against compatriot Subhan in the Men’s Singles SH6 Group Play Stage – Group A, with Subhan winning 21-15, 21-17.
Taekwondo: A tough outing
India’s lone taekwondo competitor, Aruna Tanwar, faced a challenging match in the Round of 16 against Nurcihan Ekinci, losing 0-19. However, Aruna may have another chance in the repechage round.
Para-Cycling: Jyoti’s campaign ends
Jyoti Gaderiya finished sixth in her heat with a time of 4:53.929 in para-cycling. Unfortunately, only the top four riders advanced to the medal rounds, bringing Jyoti’s campaign to an end.
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