Manasi Joshi (born 11 June 1989) is an Indian para-badminton player. She is a former world champion in para badminton women's singles SL3 category. On 8 March 2022, she was ranked world No.1 in women's singles SL3 category.

Early life and background

Manasi was born in Rajkot, Gujarat and she was raised in Anushaktinagar, Mumbai. She graduated in Electronics Engineering from K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, University of Mumbai, in 2010. A sports lover, Manasi played football and badminton in her school and college life. Joshi started playing badminton when she was six along with her father, a retired scientist from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Over the years she represented her school, college and corporate at various tournaments. After finishing graduation in 2010, she worked as a software engineer until December 2011.

Accident In December 2011, she met with a road accident while riding her motorbike to work, and her leg had to be amputated. After 45 days of hospitalisation, Manasi got discharged from MGM hospital Vashi, Navi Mumbai.

Career Joshi started her sporting journey in 2015 and in 2020, she was ranked world No.2 in women's singles SL3 category. She was selected for Asian Para-Games 2014 and played her first international tournament in Spain. In 2018, she asked Pullela Gopichand to coach her, and enrolled in his badminton academy at Hyderabad. In September 2015, Joshi won a silver medal in mixed doubles at the Para-Badminton World Championship held in Stoke Mandeville, England. In October 2018, she won a bronze medal for India at the Asian Para Games 2018, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. In August 2019, at the Para-Badminton World Championship 2019 in Basel, Switzerland, she won a gold medal. She won a silver medal in the doubles along with Thulasimathi Murugesan and a bronze in the singles SL3 in the 2022 Asian Para Games at Gangzhou, China.

Awards and recognition Manasi was listed as the Next Generation Leader 2020 by TIME Magazine in October 2020 and she appeared on their Asia cover, making her the first para-athlete in the world and the first Indian athlete to be featured on the magazine's cover, for being an advocate of rights for people with disabilities.

On the occasion of the International Day of Girl Child (11 October 2020), Barbie celebrated Manasi and her achievements by modelling a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll to her likeness to inspire young girls. She has also been recognized by BBC as one of the 100 most inspirational & powerful women across the world in 2020 and was nominated for the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Award of 2020 alongside P. V. Sindhu, Mary Kom, Vinesh Phogat and Dutee Chand.

2017 - Maharashtra Rajya Eklavya Khel Krida Puraskar (Highest State honour) 2019 - National award for Best Sportsperson with Disability (female) 2019 - Differently abled athlete of the year award at ESPN India Awards 2019 - Times of India Sports award for Best para-athlete of the year 2019 - Aces 2020 Sportswoman of the Year (Para-sports) Hindu Newspaper (Nominee) 2019 – BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2020 – TIME Next Generation Leader 2020 - BBC 100 Women 2020 – Forbes India, Self-made Women of 2020

Achievements World Championships Women's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 2017 St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland Parul Parmar 12–21, 7–21 Bronze 2019 Dongchun Gymnasium, Ulsan, South Korea Parul Parmar 21–12, 21–7 Gold 2022 Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan Oksana Kozyna 18–21, 18–21 Bronze 2024 Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, Pattaya, Thailand Qonitah Ikhtiar Syakuroh 12–21, 12–21 Bronze

Women’s doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2024 Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall,Pattaya, Thailand Thulasimathi Murugesan Leani Ratri Oktila Khalimatus Sadiyah 20–22, 17–21 Silver

Mixed doubles Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result 2015 Stoke Mandeville Stadium,Stoke Mandeville, England Rakesh Pandey Raj Kumar Parul Parmar 10–21, 19–21 Silver 2022 Yoyogi National Gymnasium,Tokyo, Japan Ruthick Ragupathi Fredy Setiawan Khalimatus Sadiyah 10–21, 8–21 Bronze

Asian Para Games Women's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 2018 Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia Parul Parmar 13–21, 12–21 Bronze

Asian Championships Women's singles Year Venue Opponent Score Result 2016 China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disabilities, Beijing, China Asami Yamada 21–11, 21–7 Bronze Wandee Kamtam 14–21, 12–21 Parul Parmar 8–21, 7–21

BWF Para Badminton World Circuit (5 titles, 6 runners-up) The BWF Para Badminton World Circuit – Grade 2, Level 1, 2 and 3 tournaments has been sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation from 2022.

Women's singles Year Tournament Level Opponent Score Result 2022 Spanish Para Badminton International II Level 2 Mandeep Kaur 21–10, 21–13 Winner 2022 Spanish Para Badminton International Level 1 Coraline Bergeron Walkover Winner Mandeep Kaur 21–13, 21–16 Noriko Ito 21–9, 21–7 Parul Parmar 21–12, 21–17 2022 Dubai Para Badminton International Level 2 Mandeep Kaur 16–21, 24–22, 21–14 Winner 2022 Canada Para Badminton International Level 1 Parul Parmar 21–14, 21–19 Winner Coraline Bergeron 21–14, 21–17 Oksana Kozyna 21–18, 15–21, 22–20 Noriko Ito 21–14, 21–10 2022 Thailand Para Badminton International Level 1 Mandeep Kaur 22–20, 19–21, 14–21 Runner-up Women's doubles Year Tournament LevelPartner Opponent Score Result 2022 Spanish Para Badminton International II Level 2 Shanthiya Viswanathan Mandeep Kaur Manisha Ramdass 21–14, 21–23, 12–21 Runner-up 2022 Thailand Para Badminton International Level 1 Shanthiya Viswanathan Nipada Saensupa Chanida Srinavakul 20–22, 19–21 Runner-up 2023 Brazil Para-Badminton International Level 2 Thulasimathi Murugesan Mandeep Kaur Manisha Ramadass 21–11, 21–10 Winner Mixed doubles Year Tournament LevelPartner Opponent Score Result 2022 Spanish Para Badminton International II Level 2 Ruthick Ragupathi Pramod Bhagat Palak Kohli 21–14, 11–21, 14–21 Runner-up 2022 Spanish Para Badminton International Level 1 Ruthick Ragupathi Raj Kumar Parul Parmar 17–21, 18–21 Runner-up 2022 Thailand Para Badminton International Level 1 Ruthick Ragupathi Lucas Mazur Faustine Noël 21–17, 15–21, 7–21 Runner-up

International tournaments (7 titles, 8 runners-up) Women's singles Year Tournament Opponent Score Result 2016 Irish Para Badminton International Nicola Tustain 21–11, 21–9 Runner-up Asami Yamada 21–11, 21–9 Katarzyna Ziębik 21–12, 11–21, 21–10 2018 Spanish Para Badminton International Darunee Henpraiwan 12–21, 21–17, 21–19 Winner Asami Yamada 21–15, 21–17 Katarzyna Ziębik 23–21, 21–18 2018 Japan Para Badminton International Noriko Ito 16–21, 21–18, 21–3 Winner 2018 Australia Para Badminton International Noriko Ito 21–13, 21–12 Winner 2019 Turkish Para Badminton International Parul Parmar 8–21, 16–21 Runner-up 2019 Dubai Para Badminton International Parul Parmar 12–21, 19–21 Runner-up 2019 Uganda Para Badminton International Parul Parmar 14–21, 12–21 Runner-up 2019 Canada Para Badminton International Parul Parmar 12–21, 7–21 Runner-up 2021 Dubai Para Badminton International Oksana Kozyna 10–21, 17–21 Runner-up 2021 Uganda Para Badminton International Parul Parmar 21–7, 21–16 Winner Women's doubles Year TournamentPartner Opponent Score Result 2017 Japan Para Badminton International Yang Qiuxia Helle Sofie Sagøy Katrin Seibert 23–21, 21–15 Winner 2018 Spanish Para Badminton International Mamiko Toyoda Helle Sofie Sagøy Katrin Seibert 19–21, 12–21 Runner-up 2018 Dubai Para Badminton International Zehra Bağlar Faustine Noël Leani Ratri Oktila 17–21, 7–21 Runner-up 2019 Uganda Para Badminton International Zehra Bağlar Palak Kohli Parul Parmar 15–21, 21–16, 15–21 Winner Mixed doubles Year TournamentPartner Opponent Score Result 2021 Uganda Para Badminton International Ruthick Ragupathi Pramod Bhagat Palak Kohli 21–19, 21–16 Winner

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