Indian shuttlers win eight medals at Japan Para-Badminton International

India's top shuttlers put up a fine show at the recently concluded BWF World Championships 2017 with Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu returning with two medals apiece - a bronze and a silver in the women's singles category. However, there is more excellent news for badminton fans in the nation as India's para-shuttlers have created history with their biggest ever medal haul from a single tournament.

At the Japan Para-Badminton International that ended on Sunday, the country's shuttlers picked up a total of eight medals, their highest haul from a single tournament. The previous best was seven, which was won in June earlier this year at the Thailand International, which consisted of two gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

In Tokyo, they have done one better with a brilliant show that features two golds, three silvers and three bronze medals, across a variety of events. With para-badminton added to the list of events for the Paralympic Games from 2020 onwards, these are great signs for our nations shuttlers as they prepare for what promises to be a historic event three years in the future.

The two gold medals were won by two female shuttlers -- Parul Parmar and Manasi Joshi. Parmar won the final in the SL 3 women's singles category, defeating her Thai opponent in the final. The Indian, who was the top seed in the event, overcame second seed Wannaphatdee Kamtam 21-13 21-13 in the final.

Joshi won gold in the women's doubles SL3-SU5 event and was partnered by Chinese shuttler Qiuxia Wang. The unseeded Indo-Chinese pair toppled the top seeds Helle Sofie Sagoy and Katrin Seibert, from Norway and Germany respectively, winning the final 23-21 21-15.

There were three silver medals to celebrate for the Indian contingent, with Mark Dharmai winning two of them. He finished runners up in the mixed doubles SS 6 category along with Australia's Kobie Donovan and also came second in the men's doubles with Hong Kong's Chun Wong.

In the men's singles SL 4 category, Suhas Yathiraj clinched a bronze medal.

Three more medals were in the offing for the Indian shuttlers as Manoj Sarkar picked up two bronze ones. The first came in the SL3 men's singles and with Suhas Yathiraj, the duo finished third in the men's doubles SL3-SL4 category. Parmar added another medal to her kitty with a bronze in the women's doubles SL3-SU5 category.