After winning a bronze medal at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics, shuttler Manoj Sarkar on Saturday said his focus was on winning the first game against his Japanese opponent as that would have enabled him to play the entire match on the front foot.
As the Paris Paralympics continue, India's athletes remain focused and determined, with more events lined up in the coming days.
The IIT Mandi graduate thus ensured that India return with a medal from the SL3 category, after Pramod Bhagat clinched the gold when para badminton made its debut three years ago in Tokyo.
Inspired by the humility of fellow para shuttler Pramod Bhagat and the relentless dedication of star cricketer Virat Kohli, Nitesh began to rebuild his life.
Nitesh Kumar and Sukant Kadam qualified for the semi-finals of the men's singles SL3 and SL4 categories respectively.
Suhas Yathiraj and Nitesh Kumar continued their impressive run to secure spots in the men's singles SL4 and SL3 semi-finals respectively, at the Paralympic Games.
Kadam, meanwhile, lost to Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-17, 15-21, 16-21 in the semi-finals to secure a bronze in singles.
Para shooter Rubina Francis lights up India's day with bronze at Paris Paralympics on Saturday.
All Indian athletes who've qualified for the paralympic games
How India's athletes fared at the Paris Paralympic Games on Friday.
Suhas L Yathiraj along Manoj Sarkar on Friday qualified after the game's governing body BWF granted two bipartite quotas to India, making it a seven-member contingent at the Tokyo Games, beginning August 24.
Bhagat now has 11 medals, including six gold, two silver and three bronze medals in the world championships. He has the distinction of reaching the finals in all the editions, barring the 2007 and 2017 World Championships.
In the women's doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won 21-18, 21-19 against the Dutch duo of Debora Jille and Cheryl Seinen. Treesa and Gayatri face Chinese Taipei's Hsu Ya Ching and Lin Wan Ching in the quarter-finals.
Pramod Bhagat secured two golds to lead the Indian badminton team's medal rush at the Bahrain Para Badminton International
The last batch of India's triumphant Paralympic athletes, including shooting sensation Avani Lekhara and shuttler-cum-bureaucrat Suhas Yathiraj, returned home to a rousing reception on Monday, their supporters and families thronging the New Delhi airport for a glimpse of the heroes.
Top Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a straight-game loss to seventh seeded English pair of Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 17-21, 14-21 in a last-8 match.
India's Tokyo Paralympics gold winner Pramod Bhagat was on Thursday named among six shuttlers for the Male Para Badminton Player of the Year by the sport's world body but none of his compatriots featured in the able-bodied awards' categories.
In the last edition in 2014, India won 33 medals (3 gold, 14 silver, 16 bronze).
Reigning World champion Pramod Bhagat continued India's fine showing at the Tokyo Paralympics with a gold medal in the badminton SL3 class event, in Tokyo, on Saturday. The 33-year-old Bhagat, who is also the world No. 1 and current Asian champion, scored a 21-11, 21-16 win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semi-final, which lasted 36 minutes.
Shooter Avani Lekhara crashed out in the qualification round of the mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 event at the Tokyo Games on Wednesday.
Asian Para Games bronze medallist Krishna, who had claimed two gold medals at the Dubai Para badminton International Championships in April, was also over the moon to know about his qualification.
Flag bearer Tek Chand will lead the Indian contingent -- India will be represented by 54 para athletes, the biggest ever contingent in the history of the Games.
Seven Olympic and six Paralympic disciplines were identified for support at a meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell.
Pramod Bhagat clinched two gold medals as India's Para badminton players returned home with a rich haul of 10 medals from the Brazil Para Badminton International Championships, in Sao Paulo, on Monday.
Prachi Yadav finishes last in 200m canoe VL2 final
Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is among the 20 sportspersons picked for the Arjuna Awards, who will be honoured by President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
India cricket captain Virat Kohli and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu were on Monday recommended for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna by the awards selection committee.
Virat Kohli sent the shutterbugs into a clicking frenzy as he received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award
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