Suhas Yathiraj, ranked world No. 3 and a Paralympic silver medalist, claimed his maiden world title by defeating Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-18, 21-18 in the men’s singles SL4 final.
Expressing his joy, the 40-year-old Yathiraj, also an IAS officer of the 2007 batch from Uttar Pradesh cadre, tweeted, “Gold it is, Happy and proud to be World Champion.”
Pramod Bhagat, a Paralympic gold medalist, emerged victorious in the men’s singles SL3 final by defeating England’s Daniel Bethell 14-21, 21-15, 21-14, securing his third consecutive world title after triumphs in Stoke Mandeville in 2015 and Basel in 2019.
Bhagat, 35, had also clinched a gold medal at the 2022 Tokyo Paralympics.
In the men’s singles SH6 category, Krishna Nagar, another Paralympic gold medalist, clinched the gold medal by defeating China’s Lin Naili 22-20, 22-20 in the final.
Manisha Ramadass secured a silver medal in the women’s singles SU5 category after losing 16-21, 16-21 to China’s Yang Qiu Xia in the final.
Additionally, the men’s doubles pair of Chirag Baretha and Raj Kumar, and the women’s doubles combination of Rachana Shaileshkumar and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan, settled for silver medals in their respective categories, SU5 and SH6, after losing their final matches.
The singles event featured a draw of 16 players, while the doubles comprised 8 pairs, showcasing the competitive spirit and talent of para badminton players on the global stage.
(With inputs from PTI)
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