Tokyo Paralympics: Manoj Sarkar Wins Bronze In Badminton Men’s Singles SL3

Tokyo Paralympics: Manoj Sarkar sealed a 2-0 win (22-20, 21-13) against Daisuke Fujihara to win bronze in badminton men's SL3 singles event on Saturday.

India's Manoj Sarkar defeated Japan's Daisuke Fujihara to clinch bronze in the badminton men's singles SL3 event at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics. The 31-year-old won in straight games, sealing a 22-20 21-13 win on Saturday. Sarkar crashed to an 8-21 10-21 defeat in the semifinals against Great Britain's Daniel Bethell, but bounced back strongly to coast past Fujihara. In SL3 classification, athletes with lower limb impairment are allowed to compete. In a match that lasted for 47 minutes, Sarkar managed to win the first game 22-20, in what was turning out to be a cagey encounter. The Indian shuttler found his footing in the second game, cruising to a 21-13 win against his Japanese opponent. Sarkar began to play badminton at the age of five, and played inter-school competitions against able-bodied shuttlers till the 11th grade. He started to compete in para-badminton events in 2011, winning a gold medal in the SL3 singles at the 2016 Asian Championships in Beijing. He also received the Arjuna Award in 2018, and was named Para Sportsman of the Year at the Sportstar Aces Awards in 2019.