Para Asian Games 2026: Nitesh Kumar-Thulasimathi Murugesan Assure India of Medal in Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 Badminton

New Delhi, Oct 19: The Indian duo of Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan assured themselves of a medal in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 badminton event at the 2026 Asian Para Games after topping Group B with an unbeaten run to storm into the semifinals on Monday. The pair continued its impressive campaign with a straight-games victory over China's Chen Pengfei and Huang Zixuan, winning 21-4, 21-18 in just 23 minutes at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.

The Indian combination had earlier received a walkover against China's Yang Jianyuan and Yang Qiuxia in its opening match, before overcoming Chen and Huang to finish at the top of the group standings. With a semifinal berth secured, Nitesh and Thulasimathi are now guaranteed at least a bronze medal, with an opportunity to challenge for a place in the final and upgrade their medal colour.

Meanwhile, Paris Paralympics champion Nitesh also enjoyed a successful outing in the men's singles SL3 event, defeating South Korea's Joo Dongjae 21-13, 21-15 in his Group A match. Ruthick Ragupathi further strengthened India's campaign with a comfortable 21-12, 21-12 win over Thailand's Somsiri Pricha in the men's singles SU5 Group C contest.

The SL3 category features players with significant lower-limb impairments, while SU5 is designated for athletes with upper-limb impairments, bringing together competitors from both classifications in the mixed doubles event.

Para Asian Games 2026: Who Are Nitesh Kumar & Thulasimathi Murugesan?

Nitesh Kumar is an Indian para-badminton player who competes in the SL3 category, designated for athletes with significant lower-limb impairments. He rose to prominence after winning the men's singles SL3 gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, marking a major milestone in his sporting career and Indian para-badminton history.

Carrying forward India's success in para-badminton, Thulasimathi Murugesan has carved out an impressive career in the SU5 category. She clinched women's singles gold and women's doubles silver at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games, before adding another major milestone with a silver medal in women's singles at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.