Suhas Yathiraj Claims Silver in Men’s Singles SL4 at Paris Paralympics
In a highly anticipated rematch of the Tokyo Paralympics gold medal match, India’s Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj faced off against France’s Lucas Mazur once again in the Men’s Singles SL4 section at the Paris Paralympics. However, history repeated itself as Mazur emerged victorious, securing a 2-0 (9-21, 13-21) victory over Yathiraj, leaving the Indian with a silver medal.
Yathiraj, an IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, had previously lost to Mazur in three games in the Tokyo final. Despite a valiant effort, he was unable to replicate that performance in Paris, falling short in both games. The SL4 category is designed for players with movement affected at a low level on one side of the body, in both legs, or the minor absence of one limb. They play standing on a full-width court and possess good court movement and a full range of shots.
Yathiraj, the reigning Asian Para Games gold medallist in the SL4 category, has a long-standing rivalry with Mazur. The Frenchman continued his dominance in the tournament, taking an early 7-0 lead in the first game. Despite Yathiraj’s attempts to fight back, Mazur’s early advantage proved insurmountable, resulting in a 9-21 loss for the Indian.
In the second game, Yathiraj sought to gain momentum, but Mazur’s challenge proved too formidable. The Indian trailed 6-11 at the mid-game interval and was unable to close the gap, ultimately losing 13-21. Mazur comfortably secured his second consecutive gold medal in this category.
Yathiraj’s journey in Paris began with two consecutive straight-set victories. He defeated Indonesia’s Hikmant Ramdani 21-7, 21-5 and Republic of Korea’s Kyung Hwan Shin in the opening stages to top Group A. Group winners were guaranteed a spot in the semifinals of the event, where Suhas faced compatriot Sukant Kadam.
Yathiraj bested Kadam in straight games, securing a decisive 2-0 victory (21-19, 21-12) in a match that lasted 35 minutes. The win over Kadam paved the way for a rematch between Yathiraj and Mazur, which ultimately went the Tokyo way, with the Indian settling for silver.
Mazur carved his way into the final by topping Group D. He defeated Brazil’s Rogerio Oliviera 2-0 before knocking out Indian para-shuttler Tarun Dhillon 2-0 in the second game. He then proceeded to breeze past Indonesian Fredy Satiawan, the bronze medallist in Tokyo, with yet another 2-0 victory.
Yathiraj, alongside Thulasimathi Murugesan, who won the silver, and Manisha Ramadass, who secured the bronze medal in the Women’s Singles SU5 category earlier, has taken India’s medal tally in Paris to 12.