# Manasi Joshi

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. During 2012-2013 after her accident, Manasi started practicing yoga, meditation and badminton to regain her fitness. She played badminton as part of her rehabilitation and another para-badminton player urged her to try out for the national team.

## 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 |
| 2016 | China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disabilities, Beijing, China | Wandee Kamtam | 14–21, 12–21 | Bronze |
| 2016 | China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disabilities, Beijing, China | Parul Parmar | 8–21, 7–21 | Bronze |

### 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 |
| 2022 | Spanish Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Mandeep Kaur | 21–13, 21–16 | Winner |
| 2022 | Spanish Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Noriko Ito | 21–9, 21–7 | Winner |
| 2022 | Spanish Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Parul Parmar | 21–12, 21–17 | Winner |
| 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 |
| 2022 | Canada Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Coraline Bergeron | 21–14, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2022 | Canada Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Oksana Kozyna | 21–18, 15–21, 22–20 | Winner |
| 2022 | Canada Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Noriko Ito | 21–14, 21–10 | Winner |
| 2022 | Thailand Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Mandeep Kaur | 22–20, 19–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | 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 | Level | Partner | 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 |
| 2016 | Irish Para Badminton International | Asami Yamada | 21–11, 21–9 | Runner-up |
| 2016 | Irish Para Badminton International | Katarzyna Ziębik | 21–12, 11–21, 21–10 | Runner-up |
| 2018 | Spanish Para Badminton International | Darunee Henpraiwan | 12–21, 21–17, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2018 | Spanish Para Badminton International | Asami Yamada | 21–15, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2018 | Spanish Para Badminton International | Katarzyna Ziębik | 23–21, 21–18 | Winner |
| 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 | Tournament | Partner | 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 | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2021 | Uganda Para Badminton International | Ruthick Ragupathi | Pramod Bhagat Palak Kohli | 21–19, 21–16 | Winner |