India's Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan kicked off their campaign at the Paris Paralympics 2024 with a strong start, comfortably defeating fellow Indian players Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli in the opening round of the badminton mixed doubles (SL3-SU5) event on Thursday. However, in a different match, the second-seeded mixed doubles pair of Sivarajan Solaimalai and Nithya Sre faced a tough challenge, losing their SH6 group stage match in straight games to the American duo of Miles Krajewski and Jayci Simon.
Nitesh and Thulasimathi secured their Group A victory with a scoreline of 21-14, 21-17, finishing the match in just 31 minutes.
Nitesh, 29, from Karnal district in Haryana, and the young Thulasimathi, a veterinary science student from Tamil Nadu, had previously won a mixed bronze at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. The pair displayed excellent coordination on the court, especially in the first game, where they established a commanding seven-point lead.
Suhas and Palak struggled to counter the dominant net play and deep tosses from their opponents, leading to a quick 14-minute defeat in the first game. The second game followed a similar pattern, with Palak finding it difficult to keep up with her senior partner, resulting in a steady loss of points.
In the SL3 category, players experience moderate impairments on one side of the body, affecting both legs or the absence of limbs. SU5 players, on the other hand, have significant impairments in their upper limbs.
In Group B, Sivarajan and Nithya put up a valiant effort against the American pair but ultimately lost 21-23, 11-21 in a match that lasted 35 minutes. The SH6 category is designated for badminton players with short stature.
Sivarajan, who trains at the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, and Nithya matched their opponents in the opening game, even briefly taking a one-point lead. However, the young American pair, both in their late teens, proved too quick and determined, fighting for every point.
The second game became a one-sided affair as the Indian pair, visibly fatigued, conceded the match in just 14 minutes.
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