India just toppled the world champions. Union Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya erupted in congratulations on Friday, October 23, 2026, after the stellar doubles pair of Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi clinched the gold medal in the Badminton Women's Doubles SL3-SU5 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 — defeating the reigning world champions in the process.

Two champions, one golden moment

Manasi Joshi is no stranger to the top of the podium. The para-badminton stalwart has previously claimed the world title in the SL3 women's singles category and carried into these Games a reputation as one of the most decorated Indian para-badminton players on the international circuit. Alongside her, Thulasimathi Murugesan has steadily built her own credentials in SL3 competition, bringing athleticism and precision to a doubles partnership that clearly had the measure of the opposition on the day.

The win was emphatic enough for Mandaviya to lead with a battle cry: 'Taking down the world champions!' — a phrase that captures exactly what the pair pulled off. On a day when the gold was never going to come easy, they delivered.

India's para-sports surge and the 2023 Hangzhou benchmark

The victory slots into a rapidly rising arc for Indian para sports. At the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, India's contingent returned home with a 111-medal haul — a landmark that reshaped expectations for the para-sports programme. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has since channelled targeted training and international exposure funding toward para athletes, and results like today's gold are the visible dividend of that investment.

Badminton has been a consistent bright spot in that ecosystem, with players like Joshi and Thulasimathi demonstrating that India can compete — and now beat — the world's best across multiple formats.

What the gold means beyond the scoreboard

Defeating world champions at a continental Games is a statement, not just a result. It signals that India's para-badminton depth extends to the doubles discipline, and it raises the stakes for the programme as eyes turn toward Paralympic 2028 preparation. Every gold at a major multi-sport event strengthens the case for expanded funding and infrastructure — arguments that land harder when athletes are beating the best in the world, not merely participating.

For now, though, Thulasimathi Murugesan and Manasi Joshi have earned their moment. Two athletes, one gold, and a world-champion scalp to show for it. Cheer4Bharat.