Mandaviya hails Manisha Ramadass's bronze at Asian Para Games 2026
Synopsis
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated para shuttler Manisha Ramadass on clinching bronze in Women's Singles SU5 at the 2026 Asian Para Games, highlighting India's growing para sports momentum under the Khelo India framework.
Key Takeaways
Manisha Ramadass won a bronze medal in Women's Singles SU5 para badminton at the 2026 Asian Para Games .
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya posted congratulations on 22 October 2026 via X under #Cheer4Bharat .
The SU5 category is for standing para badminton players with upper-limb impairments.
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event run by the Asian Paralympic Committee .
The Khelo India programme was expanded in 2017 to formally include para sports development.
A bronze medal in badminton's Women's Singles SU5 category — and India's para sports story just added another chapter. Union Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday, 22 October 2026 took to X to congratulate Manisha Ramadass on her podium finish at the 2026 Asian Para Games, amplifying the moment under the government's signature fan-rally hashtag #Cheer4Bharat.
Manisha's SU5 bronze — what the category means
The SU5 classification in para badminton covers athletes with upper-limb impairments who compete standing. Winning a medal at the Asian Para Games — the continent's foremost multi-sport competition for athletes with disabilities, held every four years under the Asian Paralympic Committee — places Manisha Ramadass among the best para shuttlers in Asia. The achievement signals both individual excellence and the depth India is building in a discipline that has historically been dominated by China and South Korea.
A government making noise for para sport
Mandaviya's swift public congratulation fits a deliberate pattern. Since the mid-2010s, Indian sports ministers have increasingly used social media to spotlight para athletes — a shift that tracks the expansion of the Khelo India programme in 2017 to formally include para sports development alongside mainstream disciplines. The message is consistent: para medals matter to the national scoreboard and deserve the same prime-time visibility as any other result.
The #AsianParaGames2026 campaign reflects broader government efforts to sustain public engagement across the full course of a multi-sport event, not just at its headline moments. For Manisha, that official amplification translates into recognition well beyond the badminton hall.
India's para athletes have steadily climbed Asian Para Games medal tables since 2018, and every podium finish in 2026 adds weight to the case for deeper investment in training, classification support, and grassroots talent identification. Manisha Ramadass's bronze is not just a personal triumph — it is a data point in that ongoing argument.
Point of View
And government social media engagement is now a routine instrument for sustaining that momentum. The Khelo India expansion to para disciplines in 2017 gave the ministry structural cover for this kind of spotlight; each public congratulation reinforces the narrative that the programme is delivering results. The real test, however, lies in whether medal-moment enthusiasm translates into sustained funding, better classification access, and a widened talent pipeline — the metrics that will define India's para sports arc over the next decade.
NationPress
22 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Manisha Ramadass?
Manisha Ramadass is an Indian para badminton player who competes in the Women's Singles SU5 category, which is for standing athletes with upper-limb impairments. She won a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Para Games.
What is the SU5 category in para badminton?
SU5 is a para badminton classification for athletes who play standing and have an impairment affecting one upper limb, such as reduced arm function or a limb difference.
What are the 2026 Asian Para Games?
The Asian Para Games is a quadrennial multi-sport competition for athletes with disabilities held under the Asian Paralympic Committee, featuring nations from across Asia.
What is India's Khelo India programme for para sports?
Khelo India is a national sports development programme that was expanded in 2017 to include para sports alongside mainstream disciplines, aiming to identify and support athletes with disabilities from the grassroots level.
What is the #Cheer4Bharat campaign?
'Cheer4Bharat' is a government-promoted social media campaign used to rally public support for Indian athletes competing in major international multi-sport events.
