Bhagat, Ramadass crowned world champions

Tokyo: Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat and promising Manisha Ramadass were crowned champions as India finished with a total of 16 medals at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships here on Sunday.

It was a dream come true for Ramadass as she beat local star Mamiko Toyoda in straight games 21-15, 21-15 in women's singles SU5 finals. 

Having started playing senior international only in March 2022, it was definitely a milestone for the 17-year-old from Chennai who stayed dominant throughout the match.

"This has been the biggest moment of my life. I have waited for this moment and worked hard for the past few months for this. It feels awesome to be the world champion. I hope I can continue with such result and make my country proud in future events," said Ramadass already thinking about Paris 2024.

Meanwhile, Bhagat defended his men's singles SL3 title in style overcoming compatriot Nitesh Kumar.

In a repeat of Senior Nationals 2022 final, Bhagat defeated Nitesh 21-19, 21-19 to win his fourth singles and sixth World Championship title.

"It feels nice to become the world champion again. This year has been decent for me and ending the year with another milestone is great. The match wasn't easy as we knew each other game and strategies, Nitesh was making a comeback in the second game but I am happy to pull it off," said Bhagat.

However, Bhagat had to settle for silver in the men's singles doubles SL3-SL4 along with Manoj Sarkar after squandering a game advantage to lose to Indonesia's Hikmat Ramdani and Ukun Rukaendi 21-14, 18-21, 13-21.

Among other top Indian shuttlers, Basel 2019 champion Manasi Joshi, Nithya Sre, Parul Parmar and Krishna Nagar all settled with multiple bronze medals.