A dominant force in the world, Asian Para shuttlers are expected to rule the courts at the La Chapelle Arena when the badminton action begins at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on August 29.
A total of 120 athletes will compete in 16 medal events over five days in Paris. Badminton powerhouses China, Japan, Indonesia, India and Malaysia were the top five finishers in the last Games, with China topping the medal table with five gold medals.
Last year’s Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and 2024 World Para Championships in Bangkok witnessed the Chinese domination yet again – they won 13 gold medals at the Worlds this February.
China’s Paralympic champions Qu Zimo (MS WH1) and Liu Yutong (WS WH2), the multiple winners at Asian Para Games 2022 and World Championships 2024, will be the favourites in the wheelchair events.
Meanwhile, Japan’s promising Daiki Kajiwara, who rose to prominence after his gold medal show Tokyo 2020 Games, will be the one to watch in men’s singles WH2. Similarly, Sarina Satomi (WS WH1) should finish on top in singles and doubles WH1-WH2 event, along with Yuma Yamazaki.
Standing events
In men’s standing events, India will once again bank on Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj (MS SL4) and Krishna Nagar (MS SH6) to win the gold medals. Nagar is the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist, while Yathiraj claimed the silver in his category and would be hoping to go one better.
Their top player Pramod Bhagat will be missing out of action.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Dheva Anrimusthi will be aiming to repeat his Hangzhou 2022 show at Paris and win his first Paralympic gold in men’s singles SU5. He should be fighting it out against his Malaysian nemesis Cheah Liek Hou, the Tokyo 2020 champion and eight-time world champion.
Hong Kong’s Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Chu Man Kai will be eager to win his first Paralympic gold after his show at Hangzhou 2022.
In women’s event, Indonesia’s doubles specialist Leani Ratri Oktila will be in spotlight after her double gold medals at Tokyo 2020 and Hangzhou 2022 and Bangkok 2024 Worlds, which she won after becoming a mother.
Among others, China’s world champions and Asian Para Games medallists Li Fengmei (WS SH6), Yang Qiuxia (WS SU5), Xiao Zuxian (WS SL3) will be among the favourites in their respective categories.
There will also be a few names like India’s Manasi Joshi (WS SL3), Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass (WS SU5), Indonesia’s Rina Marlina (WS SH6), performers at Asian Para Games and World Championships, eager to make a mark in Paris.
The women’s singles SL3, women’s singles SH6 and mixed doubles SH6 events will be featuring for the first time in Paralympic sports programme at Paris, with 16 medal events in total, two more than in Tokyo.
