India’s Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj defeated his compatriot Sukant Kadam in straight games to book his place in the men’s singles SL4 category final and assure India of another medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday.
Suhas won the all-Indian contest 21-17, 21-12.
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Suhas, who served as the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar during the COVID-19 pandemic and was also the DM of Prayagraj, delivered a commanding performance to book his place in the final.
He will now face France’s Lucas Mazur, aiming to settle the score after losing to him in the Tokyo Paralympics final three years ago.
Sukant will next play for the bronze medal against Fredy Setiawan of Indonesia.
A computer engineer-turned-IAS officer, Suhas has never let his ankle impairment hinder his passion for badminton.
Currently posted as the Secretary and Director-General of Youth Welfare and Prantiya Rakshak Dal under the Uttar Pradesh government, Suhas’s journey from administration to the badminton court is all about his remarkable perseverance.
Earlier, Nitesh Kumar secured a maiden medal in the men’s singles SL3 category after reaching the finals with a commanding straight-game win over Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in their last-four clash.
India have already secured another medal as Manisha Ramadass confirmed a podium after setting up a women’s singles SU5 semi-finals duel with compatriot Thulasimathi Murugesan.
Nithya Sivan Sumathy advanced to the women’s singles SH6 semifinals with a 21-4, 21-7 victory over Poland’s Oliwia Szmigiel. Nithya will face China’s Lin Shuangbao in the semifinals, a tough opponent who holds a 4-0 record against the Indian, including a win in the group stages. A win will add another medal to the tally.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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