Paris 2024 Paralympic Games LIVE Updates, Day 1: Manasi Joshi Narrowly Loses First Match

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Manasi Joshi match enters third game

A back-and-forth game on the other side between Manasi Joshi and Indonesia’s Qonita Syakuroh. Manasi won the first game, but Syakuroh came back to level it after the second. It’s up to the deciding game now.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Mandeep Kaur loses

Mandeep Kaur goes down fighting against Nigeria’s Mariam Bolaji as the match ends 8-21, 14-21. 

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Mandeep Kaur trailing

Nigeria’s Mariam Bolaji has taken the early lead in the first women’s singles SL3 game. She leads Mandeep Kaur 11-7 right now.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: More on Mandeep Kaur

29-year-old Mandeep, hailing from Uttarakhand, has racked up three World Championship doubles medals in recent years, but she is gunning for a singles medal at Paralympics 2024.

Once a potent arm-wrestler, Mandeep took up badminton after a 2018 surgery helped her walk straight.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Mandeep Kaur in action

However, first in action will be India’s other SL3 women’s singles star Mandeep Kaur. She is facing Nigeria’s Mariam Bolaji. The match is underway.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: More on Manasi Joshi

Although unseeded now, Manasi is herself a former world no. 1. Not only that, she is a three-time Asain Para Games medalist, and won bronze in the 2024 World Championships. 

Manasi needed her leg to be amputated after suffering a motorbike accident in December 2011.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Big test up next for India

India’s Manasi Joshi is set to play now in the women’s singles SL3 category, to kickstart the first singles encounter by an Indian at Paralympics 2024.

She faces Indonesia’s Qonita Ikhtiar Syakuroh, who is the first seed in the category.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Big defeat for India

A comprehensive win in the end for USA’s Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon in the SH6 mixed doubles category. They win 23-21, 21-11 over India’s Sivarajan Solaimalai and Nithya Sre Sivan.

Not the ideal start for the Indian pair, but they will have a chance to recover.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Looking bleak for India

A 5-point lead for the USA pair in the second set, at 11-6. This is a mountain to climb now for the second-seed Indian duo.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: USA take game one

A nail-biting neck-and-neck first set ends in defeat for Solaimalai Sivarajan and Nithya Sre Sivan. They lose 23-21 to USA’s Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon in the mixed doubles SH6 category.

Still time for a comeback!

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: A marathon first game

It is 20-20 in the first game between Sivarajan/Nithya and Krajewski/Simon. An absolutely epic encounter has unfolded.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Match begins

India vs USA for the first time in Paralympics 2024. We are underway!

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: SH6 category explained

The SH6 division in para badminton is for players of unusually short stature. For context, Nithya Sre Sivan is 3’0″ tall.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Badminton action continues!

Up next, it is the mixed doubles SH6 category. The duo of Solaimalai Sivarajan and Nithya Sre Sivan will take on USA’s Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon. Sivarajan and Nithya are the second seed in this category.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Victory for Nitesh/Thulasimathi

Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan win India’s first para badminton match. They take it 21-14, 21-17, against compatriots Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Nitesh/Thulasimathi near win

The scales have turned towards Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan again. The pair are nearing a straight games win, leading 18-16 at the moment.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: SL3-SU5 format explained

SL3 involves players with movement moderately affected on one side of the body, both legs or absence of limbs. They have reduced movement, but a full range of shots.

SU5 players have distinct impairment of upper limbs.

Paralympics Day 1 LIVE Updates: Suhas/Palak aim comeback

A good start to the second game for Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli. They lead 3-1 in the early stages, in a must-win game.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Nitesh/Thulasimathi take first game

First blood for Nitesh/Thulasimathi in the all-India para badminton encounter. They take the first game 21-14 over Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Big lead for Nitesh/Thulasimathi

Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan are advancing rapidly towards victory in the first game. They have taken a 5-point advantage, and lead 18-13.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Slender lead for Nitesh/Thulasimathi

Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan have taken a small advantage in the opening game. They lead Suhas/Palak 13-11.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Match is underway!

The mixed doubles clash between Nitesh/Thulasimathi and Suhas/Palak is underway. Fairly even start, as the game is tied at 4-4.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Mixed doubles up first: All India clash!

The mixed doubles match between two Indian duos. Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan will take on Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli in the group stage of the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 category.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: We are moments away

We should be a few minutes away from the start of India’s Paralympics 2024 journey! It’s time to get excited by the urge of seeing our athletes hold a medal again.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Why is Pramod Bhagat suspended?

Tokyo Paralympics gold medalist Pramod Bhagat will not get a chance to defend his medal this year. Despite being a heavy favourite, Pramod was suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) failing to report his whereabouts, therefore finding him guilty of breaching the BWF anti-doping regulations.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Five gold medalists

Here are the five Indians who won gold in Tokyo Paralympics 2020:

1. Sumit Antil: Men’s Javelin Throw F64

2. Avani Lekhara: Women’s R2 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 – Shooting

3. Manish Narwal: Mixed P4 50m Pistol SH1 – Shooting

4. Pramod Bhagat: Men’s Singles SL3 – Badminton

5. Krishna Nagar: Men’s Singles SL6 – Badminton

Out of the five, Pramod Bhagat won’t get a chance to go for gold again. 

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: The number to beat

20 is the magic number for India for Paris Paralympics 2024. India managed 19 medals, including 5 golds, in Tokyo.

With a record 84-strong contingent, India are aiming to go even better this time.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: Less than 30 minutes to go

India’s first Paralympics 2024 event is likely to get underway in less than half an hour. The para badminton mixed doubles duo of Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan will kickstart India’s journey.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 LIVE: India’s flag-bearers

Two of India’s brightest medal hopes were India’s flag-bearers during the opening ceremony. Javelin thrower Sumit Antil will be aiming for gold again, repeating his feat from Tokyo. Meanwhile, shotputter Bhagyashree Jadhav won silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games, and will aim for one step better this time around.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 Live: Glittery opening ceremony

The 2024 Paralympics opened in Paris on Wednesday in a colourful and hope-filled ceremony, starting 11 days of competition in a city still riding the wave of the successful Olympics. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open during a ceremony in a balmy Place de la Concorde in central Paris — the first time a Paralympic opening ceremony has taken place away from the main stadium. The 4,400 competitors from 168 delegations paraded into the arena as the sun set with host nation France entering last to a standing ovation from 30,000 spectators packed into the stands around the historic square.

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 Live: Para Badminton schedule

Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 (Group Stage) 

Nitesh Kumar/Murugesan Thulasimathi vs Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj/Palak Kohli (12 PM) 

Mixed Doubles SH6 (Group Stage) 

Sivarajam Solaimalai/Nithye Sre Sumathy (Not before: 12:40 PM ) 

Women’s Singles SL3 (Group Stage) 

Mandeep Kaur 

Manasi Joshi 

(Not before 2 PM) 

Men’s Singles SL4 (Group Stage) 

Sukant Kadam (Not before 2:40 PM) 

Suhas Lalinakere Yathira (Not before 3:20 PM) 

Tarun (Not before 3:20 PM) 

Men’s Singles SL3 (Group play) 

Nitesh Kumar vs Manoj Sarkar (Not before 4 PM)

Paralympics 2024 Day 1 Live: Hello and welcome

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of Day 1 at the Paris Paralympics 2024. The Games got off to a brilliant start with a star-studded opening ceremony. India will begin their journey at the Paralympics 2024 with para badminton.