Indian para-badminton star Manisha Ramadass expressed her happiness and disappointment after winning two bronze medals at the Asian Para Games 2026. Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Ramadass reflected on her challenging journey over the past one-and-a-half years, revealing how persistent injuries and a worsening knee problem made her medal-winning campaign particularly difficult.
Ramadass secured bronze in the women's singles SU5 category and added another bronze in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 event alongside Pramod Bhagat. While the results were not entirely what she had hoped for, the Indian shuttler took pride in her achievements, considering the physical difficulties she endured in the lead-up to the prestigious continental event.
“First of all, winning bronze here is really... I'm really happy about it, especially after going through all the injuries and stuff from the past one-and-a-half years,” Ramadass said, highlighting the significance of her performance despite the setbacks she has faced throughout her journey.
The Indian shuttler revealed that the last two to three months had been particularly difficult, as her knee injury worsened. The deteriorating condition made it increasingly challenging for her to prepare and compete at the highest level. However, despite the lack of adequate training and the physical discomfort, she managed to secure two podium finishes, making the achievement even more meaningful.
“The last two to three months were very difficult for me because it got worse. And from there to winning a medal itself, I think I'm really proud of that,” she added, underlining the determination it took to overcome the difficult phase.
Despite the two bronze medals, Ramadass admitted that she was disappointed with certain aspects of her campaign. She acknowledged that she still had considerable room for improvement and stressed that recovering from her knee injury would be her immediate priority. The Indian shuttler does not intend to rush back into training and will resume her preparations only after making a complete recovery.
“I should prioritise my knee injury first now, and then I will come back to training and stuff once I completely recover. And then I will start from next year for the LA qualifiers,” Ramadass said, outlining her plans for the coming months as she looks towards the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
Reflecting on her achievement, Ramadass described the Asian Para Games as one of the biggest platforms for para-athletes after the Paralympics. She had won three bronze medals at the previous edition but could not compete in the women's doubles event this time. Nevertheless, she remained proud of her two-medal haul, particularly given her injury struggles and limited preparation. “I'm still happy about the performance and everything I did here, even without the training,” she said, acknowledging the mixed emotions surrounding her campaign.
