Manasi Joshi has become a household name after she won a gold at the Para-Badminton Championships. She was six when she started playing badminton with her father, a retired scientist from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
Manasi Joshi is an Indian Para-Badminton athlete who is currently World No. 2 in SL3 Singles.
SL3 is a para-badminton category in which players are impaired in one or both lower limbs and have poor walking or running balance.
She was six when she started playing badminton with her father, a retired scientist from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
A qualified engineer, she completed her graduation in Electronics Engineering from K J Somaiya College of Engineering, University of Mumbai in 2010.
In 2011, she met with an accident and lost her left leg. She then taught herself to get back on her feet.
In September 2015, she won a silver medal in mixed doubles at the Para-Badminton World Championships held in Stoke Mandeville, England.
In October 2018, Manasi won a bronze medal for India at the Asian Para Games 2018, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. She won a gold medal for India at the Para Olympics 2019.
Just days after PV Sindhu made India proud by ousting Nozomi Okuhara 21-7, 21-7 in just 38 minutes and went on to become the first Indian shuttler to win a world championship, Manasi Joshi, won the BWF Para Badminton World Championships on Saturday.
Joshi won her first gold by defeating compatriot Parul Parmer in the women's singles. Joshi had faced Parmer three times this year, and each time, she'd lost.
Despite her previous losses against the same opponent, Joshi kept her calm and unleashed a few fast strokes to emerge victorious in what can only be described as a nail-biting finish.
India claimed a total of 12 medals including 3 Gold, in the Para Badminton World Championships this year.
In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated the Indian para-badminton team which won 12 medals at the BWF World Championship, saying their performance is motivating.
"130 crore Indians are extremely proud of the Indian Para Badminton contingent ... Congratulations to the entire team, whose success is extremely gladdening and motivating. Each of these players is remarkable," the PM Modi wrote on Twitter.
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