Indian shuttler Mandeep Kaur advanced to the quarterfinals of the women's singles SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics after defeating Australia's Vinot Celine Aurelie. Mandeep won her last group B match 21-23, 21-10, 21-17, securing her spot despite an earlier loss to Nigeria's Bolaji Mariam.
Mandeep finished second in the three-player group B, paving her way to the quarterfinals. Mariam topped group B to advance directly to the semifinals. The winners of groups A and C also moved directly to the semifinals. The second-place finishers in group B, along with those in groups A and C, will vie for the remaining two semifinal spots.
The SL3 class features players with severe lower limb disabilities, who compete on a half-width court.
In Friday's late-night matches, Suhas Yathiraj and Palak Kohli lost their opening mixed doubles SL3 contest 11-21, 17-21 to top-seeded Indonesian pair Hikmat Ramdani and Leani Ratri Oktila. Another group A SL3 mixed doubles match saw Indians Nitesh Kumar and Thulasimathi Murugesan losing 22-24, 19-21 to the French team of Faustine Noel and Lucas Mazur.
In mixed doubles, the only win came through Nithya Sivan Sumathy and Sivarajan Solaimalai, who defeated Thailand's Natthapong Meechai and Chai Saeyang 21-7, 21-17 in group B.
Later on Saturday, Indian players Nitesh Kumar, Krishna Nagar, Manoj Sarkar, Sukant Kadam, Sivarajan Solaimalai, and Tarun will compete in different men's singles categories.
In women's singles, Manisha Ramdass and Nithya Sivan Sumathy will present their challenge.
