India at Paris Paralympics, August 31: Rubina Francis bags bronze, archers fall short

It was a day of mixed emotions at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. The Indian badminton contingent performed brilliantly in the group stage, with many athletes advancing to the knockout rounds. India has also secured a guaranteed medal in the men’s singles SL4 category, as two Indians will compete against each other in the semifinals: Suhas Yathiraj will take on Sukant Kadam.

It was a heartbreaking day in paraarchery as both top Indian archers exited in the women’s individual event. Sheetal Devi was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals, while Sarita Kumari exited in the quarterfinals.

The only medal of the day came in para shooting, where Rubina Francis secured a bronze medal for India in the 10m Air Pistol SH1 event.

Let’s catch up on all the events and results from Day 3 (31 August) of the Paralympics in our daily roundup.

Para-Badminton: Some wins some heartbreaks

Mandeep Kaur started the day on a high, clinching a vital win over Celine Aurelie Vinot. After trailing in the first game, Kaur surged ahead to dominate the next two, securing the match with scores of 21-23, 21-10, 21-17.

Sukant Kadam made it to the semifinals with a commanding 21-12, 21-12 victory over Siripong Teamarrom. He will now face India’s Suhas Yathiraj, ensuring that India will secure a medal in this category.

Nitesh Kumar also progressed to the semifinals after a straight-games win against Mongkhon Bunsun, finishing with scores of 21-13, 21-14.

Manoj Sarkar ended his campaign on a positive note, defeating Yang Jianyuan in straight sets with scores of 21-15, 21-11. Tarun’s Paralympics journey concluded after losing to Lucas Mazur in straight games (7-21, 16-21) in the men’s singles SL4 group stage.

Para-Shooting: One more medal for India

Rubina Francis won a medal for India in the 10m Air Pistol SH1 event. She scored a total of 211.1. Iran’s Sareh Javanmardi clinched the gold with a score of 236.8.

Swaroop Unhalkar’s campaign came to a close as he finished fifteenth in the men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 qualification. His best score of 10.7 in the final series was insufficient to secure a spot in the final, with an overall score of 102.7.

Para-Cycling: Shaik falls short

Arshad Shaik’s Paralympic run ended after he finished seventeenth in the men’s C1-3 1000m time trial qualifying. His time of 1:26.154 was adjusted to 1:21.416, falling short of the top six required for the final.

Para-Rowing: Not good results

Narayana and Anita secured a spot in the B Final of the PR3 Mixed Double Sculls event. They finished third in the repechage race with a time of 7:54.33, giving them a chance to compete for a medal in the B Final.

Para-Archery: Heartbreak for Indian archers

It was a tough day for Indian archery fans as both women archers exited their events. Sheetal Devi was narrowly defeated 137-138 by Mariana Zuniga of Chile in the Women’s Individual Compound Open 1/8 Elimination round, losing by just a single point.

Sarita Kumari’s campaign also ended after a hard-fought quarterfinal battle. Despite a strong performance, she lost 140-145 in the Women’s Individual Compound Open quarterfinals.