NEW DELHI: India's Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan triumphed over country-mates Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli in the opening group stage match of badminton mixed doubles (SL3-SU5) at the Paralympic Games on Thursday. The Nitesh-Thulasimathi duo secured a 21-14, 21-17 victory in just 31 minutes.
Nitesh, 29, from Karnal district in Haryana, and Thulasimathi, a veterinary science student from Tamil Nadu, showed their formidable form in the match. They had previously won the mixed bronze at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. In the first game, they faced little challenge and held a seven-point lead at one stage.
Paris Paralympics | Medal Tally
Suhas and Palak struggled to counter the effective net play and deep tosses from their opponents, resulting in a 14-minute loss in the first game. In the second game, the trend continued. Palak could not keep pace with her senior partner, leading to more points being conceded and another swift defeat.
