Paralympic Games 2024: Nitesh Kumar wins gold; Thulasimathi, Manisha shine with silver and bronze

Nitesh Kumar wins Paralympic gold, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass secure silver and bronze in historic Indian performance.

Nitesh Kumar secured his first Paralympic gold in men's singles SL3, while Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass clinched silver and bronze in women's singles SU5, respectively, marking a historic performance by Indian shuttlers in Paris on Monday (September 2, 2024).

Nitesh, 29, who lost his left leg in a train accident in 2009, showed remarkable resilience and tactical brilliance in his 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 victory over Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in a gripping final, delivering India's first gold of the event.

"I still don't feel it," Nitesh, a fan of Virat Kohli, said after the 80-minute match.

"Maybe, when I go to the podium and the national anthem is played, it will sink in." In the women's singles SU5 category, 22-year-old Thulasimathi, born with a congenital deformity in her left hand, fought hard but lost 17-21, 10-21 to China's defending champion Yang Qiuxia, taking home the silver.

"I am happy with the silver but a bit disappointed that I couldn't give my best," she said.

"I made a lot of mistakes. I should have taken the first set. I lost 1-2 points due to drift and then a few unforced errors, which gave her the lead." Meanwhile, 19-year-old Manisha, who was born with Erb's Palsy affecting her right arm, secured the bronze by defeating Denmark's Cathrine Rosengren 21-12, 21-8.

"I am very happy. I am on cloud nine," said Manisha.