India’s prime para-shuttler Parul Parmar stated on Tuesday that the third Dubai Para Badminton International Championships will set the tone for an essential 12 months that contains the Tokyo Paralympic Games and the World Championships. Parmar, the highest seed right here and world No.1 within the ladies’s SL3 occasion, was joyful that worldwide occasions have resumed after greater than a 12 months. The final BWF occasion was the Peru International held in February 2020.
“More than anything, I am happy that international competition has resumed. It’s an important year as we have the Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and this event will set the tone for the big events. I am happy that I could pull off my first singles played after so long,” stated Parmar, who survived a scare from teenager Charanjeet Kaur earlier than successful 21-13, 19-21, 23-21 in 36 minutes.
“Now that we are here, I hope everyone gives their best effort. I am also eyeing medals here and to be back home safely,” he stated.
Later, Parmar together with younger Palak Kohli, seeded second, obtained a bye in ladies’s doubles SL3-SU5 occasion. The duo is ranked fifth and is about to make the lower for the Tokyo Games.
Reigning world champions Pramod Bhagat and Manasi Joshi additionally opened their campaigns with wins right here.
Joshi gained her opening ladies’s singles SL3 match in opposition to Mandeep Kaur 21-17, 21-10 earlier than she mixed with Arati Janoba Patil to defeat Charanjeet Kaur and Vaishali Nilesh Patel 21-10, 21-10.
“It felt great to compete after a year at an international venue. The competitive spirit is super high in the Paralympic year. Players are prepared and it looked as everyone came here with a new version,” stated Joshi, the Basel 2019 world champion.
Multiple-time world champion Bhagat mixed with younger Kohli to defeat Pavel Kulikov of Russia and France’s Lenaig Morin 21-17, 21-14 in a blended doubles SL3-SU5 Group C match. Earlier, Kohli had additionally gained her opening ladies’s singles SU5 match.
Elsewhere, there have been all smiles on the Shabab Al Ahli Club as gamers took to the courts for aggressive matches after greater than a 12 months, owing to Covid-19 pandemic.
As many as 127 gamers from 29 international locations, together with hosts the United Arab Emirates, are competing within the championship that has a number of world and Asian Para Games champions.
