Mandaviya Hails Bhagat-Ramadass Bronze at Asian Para Games
Synopsis
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated para-badminton players Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass on winning the bronze medal in the Badminton Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 event at the Asian Para Games 2026, celebrating India's continued rise in para sports.
Key Takeaways
Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass won bronze in Badminton Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 at the Asian Para Games 2026 .
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya publicly congratulated the pair on October 22, 2026 via X.
Bhagat competes in the SL3 category (lower-limb impairment, half-court), Ramadass in SU5 (upper-limb impairment).
India has increased para-athlete support through the Paralympic Committee of India and national schemes since the 2016 Rio Paralympics .
The Asian Para Games serve as a key continental qualifier pathway toward the Paralympic Games.
A bronze medal in badminton mixed doubles — and India's para-sports story just added another chapter. Union Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, October 22 congratulated Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass for clinching the bronze medal in the Badminton Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 event at the Asian Para Games 2026.
Bhagat and Ramadass deliver on the continental stage
Pramod Bhagat is one of India's most decorated para-badminton players, competing in the SL3 category — a classification for athletes with lower-limb impairment who play on a half-court. His partner Manisha Ramadass competes in the SU5 category, for players with upper-limb impairment. Their pairing in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 bracket brought home the bronze, reinforcing India's growing competitive depth across para-badminton disciplines.
Why the Asian Para Games matter for India's para-sport ambitions
The Asian Para Games, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee, serve as both a continental championship and a crucial qualifier pathway for the Paralympic Games. For India, the event has grown in strategic importance since the 2016 Rio Paralympics — the inflection point at which the government formally expanded support for para athletes through the Paralympic Committee of India and integrated them into national sports development schemes.
Indian ministers have made visible social-media recognition of para-sports results a deliberate habit — part of a broader push to bring para-sports out of the margins and into the mainstream sporting conversation. A minister's public congratulations amplifies reach, signals government backing, and, advocates argue, nudges sponsors and broadcasters to pay attention.
The medal and the message
Mandaviya's post, tagged #Cheer4Bharat, fits a consistent pattern of the sports ministry using social media to celebrate both able-bodied and para athletes in the same breath — a rhetorical equalisation that has become a recognisable feature of India's current sports governance posture. With more events still to conclude at the Asian Para Games 2026, India's final medal tally — and any follow-up announcements on para-sports funding or training infrastructure — will be worth watching.
For Bhagat and Ramadass, the bronze is not just a podium finish — it is proof that India's para-badminton pipeline is producing results at the highest continental level.
Point of View
Public recognition of this bronze medal is a small but deliberate signal: para-athletes are no longer an afterthought in India's official sporting narrative. Since 2016, successive governments have used social media amplification as a low-cost, high-visibility tool to normalise para-sports in public consciousness. The SL3-SU5 mixed doubles result is itself an indicator of depth — India is now fielding competitive cross-category pairs, not just individual stars. Whether that depth is matched by commensurate investment in training infrastructure will define how far this momentum travels toward the next Paralympic cycle.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass?
Pramod Bhagat is a leading Indian para-badminton player in the SL3 category for athletes with lower-limb impairment, with multiple international medals to his name. Manisha Ramadass is an Indian para-badminton player competing in the SU5 category for athletes with upper-limb impairment.
What is the SL3-SU5 category in para badminton?
The SL3-SU5 is a mixed doubles para-badminton category pairing an SL3 player (lower-limb impairment, half-court play) with an SU5 player (upper-limb impairment), allowing athletes from complementary classifications to compete together.
What are the Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee . It serves as both a continental championship and a qualifying platform for the Paralympic Games.
What did Mansukh Mandaviya say about the medal?
Minister Mansukh Mandaviya extended 'heartiest congratulations' to Bhagat and Ramadass on their bronze in the Badminton Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 event, using the hashtag #Cheer4Bharat .
How has India supported para athletes in recent years?
Since the 2016 Rio Paralympics , India has expanded para-athlete support through the Paralympic Committee of India and their inclusion in national sports development schemes, with the sports ministry also actively promoting para-sports achievements on social media.
