Para badminton worlds: Parul Parmar vs Manasi Joshi in women’s final, double joy for Tarun

PTI, Aug 25, 2019, 12:00 PM IST

Basel: Three-time World Champion Parul Parmar continued her dazzling form to storm into the women’s singles SL3 final of the BWF Para Badminton World Championships here Saturday.

Top seed Parmar, who will be playing her seventh final this season, will face compatriot Manasi Joshi, 2017 Worlds bronze medallist, in the final.

India coach Gaurav Khanna said: “It’s not one-time story that Parul will face Manasi. I wish both good lucks. Parul is quite experienced while Manasi is young and this will a great experience for her.”

Khanna also praised Parmar’s “strong willpower and determination” and hoped that the “the undisputed journey of her will continue.”

It was a double delight for two-time world champion Tarun, who entered the finals of men’s singles and doubles SL4 events, interestingly beating his Indonesian nemesis Fredy Setiawan in both the events.

In the singles, he survived a scare against Setiawan before winning 21-14, 21-16 in 28 minutes.

However, Sukant Kadam and Krishna Nagar had to settle for bronze after crashing out of the championships. Both faltered at the hands of top seeds.

While Kadam fell against France’s top seed Lucas Mazur 11-21, 13-21 in men’s singles SL4, Nagar was ousted by his British nemesis Jack Shephard 13-21, 13-21 in SS6 competition in 29 minutes. Tarun will face his nemesis Mazur in the final.

Much like the women’s final, the men’s doubles SL3-4 final will be an all-India affair as Tarun and Nitesh Kumar face Pramod Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar.

Nitesh-Tarun came out with a brilliant show to shock the Indonesian experienced duo of Raekendi and Hary Susanto 23-21, 21-9 in the semi-finals, while Bhagat-Sarkar saw off the Indo-Thai pair of Umesh Vikram Kumar and Chawarat Kitichokwattana 21-15, 21-15.

As many as 22 medal events are contested in this Championships, while the Tokyo 2020 will have 14 medal events in the sport that will make its Paralympic debut next September.