Who is Nithya Sre Sivan, badminton player who won bronze medal at Paris Paralympics

19-year-old Nithya comfortably beat Indonesia's Rina Marlina 21-14 21-6 to sign off on a winning note in her maiden appearance at the Paralympics.

Paris Paralympics: Bronze medallist Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan of India celebrates on the podium

Bronze medallist Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan of India celebrates on the podium (Reuters)

Nithya wins bronze medal: In India’s last badminton match, Nithya Sre Sivan won a bronze medal in the women’s singles SH6 third-place playoff match, marking a historic day for Indian para badminton.

The 19-year-old Nithya comfortably beat Indonesia’s Rina Marlina 21-14 21-6 to sign off on a winning note in her maiden appearance at the Games.

Nithya’s journey

Nithya hails from Hosur in Tamul Nadu. Growing up cricket was her favourite sport. It was after Rio Paralympics in 2016, she started following badminton. Nithya’s idol is Lin Dan and she started reading more articles about the former World No. 1 which ignited her desire to pursue the sport.

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It wasn’t until the lockdown in 2020 that Nithya discovered para-badminton, thanks to her father’s colleague, a state-level para-badminton player. Encouraged by her coach, Nithya’s father entered her into the Tamil Nadu para-badminton state championship, where she participated and showcased her skills.

Nithya Sre achievements

Asian Para Games (2022) – Bronze Medal in WS
Asian Para Games (2022) – Bronze Medal in XD
Asian Para Games (2022) – Bronze Medal in WD
World Championship (2024) – Bronze Medal in WS
World Championship (2022) – Bronze Medal in WS
World Championship (2022) – Bronze Medal in WD
World Championship (2022) – Bronze Medal in XD
4 Nations Para Badminton International (2024) -Gold Medal in WS & Silver Medal in XD
Spanish Para Badminton International 2024- I (2024)- Gold Medal in WS & Bronze in XD