Suhas Yathiraj wins silver in a thrilling Men’s Singles SL4 Final at the Paralympics 2020
In a match that lasted for 62 minutes, France’s Lucas Mazur beats Suhas Yathiraj 2-1 to end the Men’s Singles SL4 campaign at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 on Sunday
The last day of Tokyo Paralympics 2020, started with a podium finish for India as IAS officer Suhas Yathiraj wins silver and takes India’s medal tally to 18.
38-year-old, Suhas Yathiraj had gone down fighting 21-15, 17-21, 15-21 to the top-seed Lucas Mazur, 23 from France in Court 1 of the Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo. Badminton’s debut in Paralympics at the 2020 Tokyo edition makes Suhas Yathiraj the maiden silver medalist in the Men’s Singles SL4 class and Mazur the 1st-ever Champion.
Suhas Yathiraj, the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) also created history by becoming the first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics Games.
The Indian won the 1st game with ease but France’s Lucas Mazur made a great comeback to win the 2nd and took the match into the decider. In the 3rd and final game, Suhas was leading 11-10 at the interval however the French player bagged crucial points and won the match.
In the SL4 class, the athletes would play on full-court. They run faster and have better balance than those in the SL3 class. The athletes present here would have an impairment in one or both lower limbs, unilateral polio, or mild cerebral palsy. Yathiraj has an impairment to one of his ankles.
This is India’s third medal in Para-Badminton at Tokyo Paralympics 2020.