LUCKNOW: A tricky draw, especially in the mixed doubles SL3-SL5 category, caught India by surprise as soon as the 13-member team of shuttlers landed in Paris for the Paralympics on Sunday. The team went through the draw carefully, started working on their game plan and now after three days of rigorous training and planning, they hope to still win 8 to 10 medals.

If things go according to plan, this will be the best medals tally in badminton at the Paralympics. Badminton made its Paralympics debut in 2020, and India came back with four medals (two gold, one silver, and a bronze). While Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar won gold, Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj and Manoj Sarkar got bronze medals.

As per the draw, the Indian pair of Nitesh Kumar and Thulsimathi Murugesan will be facing compatriots Suhas and Palak Kohli in the first-round match of the group stage in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 on Thursday, while Suhas, Sukant Kadam and Tarun will face each other in the men’s singles SL4 category at a later stage.

“For sure, the draws in the mixed doubles and men’s singles SL4 categories have upset our game plan a bit after we reached here on Sunday, but now things are under control as we have prepared our Plan B. I am sure that we are still in position to win 8-10 medals at the Paralympics,” team’s chief coach Gaurav Khanna said on Wednesday as the badminton events begin on Thursday.

“We have five days of events here and all 13 Indians are ready to give their best. Our shuttlers even trained with able-bodied players during training and it helped them prepare well,” said Khanna.

In the absence of Pramod Bhagat, who has been suspended for not complying with the whereabouts clause in anti-doping regulations, Indians will be expecting Krishna Nagar to defend his gold medal in SH6 category, whereas Suhas and Manoj will try to change the colour of their medals this time.

The 18 medals, including three gold, four silver and 11 bronze at this year’s BWF Para Badminton World Championships, are the testimony of dominance of Indian para-shuttlers in the world, and it has given a different kind of confidence to Khanna and Co.

Khanna also said that the court conditions are good here in Paris and players are enjoying the atmosphere.

India’s badminton squad: Suhas LY, Nitesh Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Krishna Nagar, Sivarajan Solaimalai, Sukant Kadam, Tarun, Nithya Sre, Mandeep Kaur, Manasi Joshi, Palak Kohli, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manisha Ramadass.

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