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The 22-year-old Thulasimathi, the number one seed, put up a fight before going down 17-21 10-21 against China’s defending champion Yang Qiuxia in the final.
Second seed Manisha, playing at the adjacent court, outplayed Denmark’s Cathrine Rosengren, seeded third, 21-12 21-8 to claim the bronze medal.
The SU5 category is for athletes with impairment on the upper limbs, which could be in the playing or the non playing hand.
Earlier Indian shuttler Nitesh Kumar etched his name in Paralympic history by winning the gold medal in the men’s singles SL3 category.
The 29-year-old delivered a captivating performance, overcoming Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in a gruelling three-set final that stretched over an hour and twenty minutes.
The match, a display of grit and skill, saw Nitesh emerge victorious with a final scoreline of 21-14, 18-21, 23-21. Nitesh, known for his resilient defence and strategic shot selection, showcased his mettle against Bethell, the reigning silver medalist from Tokyo.
Nitesh’s triumph ensures India retains the men’s singles SL3 Paralympic title, following Pramod Bhagat’s gold medal win at the sport’s debut in Tokyo three years prior. This victory underscores India’s growing prowess in para badminton on the global stage.
Earlier in the day, India’s Yogesh Kathuniya clinched his second consecutive Paralympic silver medal in men’s discus throw F-56 event with a season’s best performance. The 29-year-old hurled the discus to 42.22m in his very first attempt to add to the silver he won in the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.
Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos registered a hat-trick of Paralympic gold medals, creating a new Games record with an effort of 46.86m in his fifth attempt.
Greece’s Konstantinos Tzounis won the bronze with 41.32m.
The F-56 is a seating field event class for differently-abled athletes. People with amputations and spinal cord injuries take part in this classification.
