With more than 100 medals to her name, including world championship titles and the prestigious Arjuna Award, Indian Para-Badminton player Manasi Joshi has built a career defined by resilience, determination and excellence. From representing India on the global stage to becoming a strong voice for inclusion and accessibility, she continues to inspire athletes across the country. Recently, she joined the NISAU 2026 Network of Indian Students and Alumni UK event as a guest of honour at Sultan-Ul-Uloom College of Pharmacy in Banjara Hills, where she reflected on her journey, ambitions and the lessons sport has taught her.
Speaking about her association with NISAU, she says, “I’m very happy to be associated with students, the alumni network and those who have studied in the UK and want to study in the UK. It’s great to be part of a community that understands, supports and knows where you come from.”
For young people preparing to step into a new country and a new phase of life, her advice was simple and encouraging. “Keep working hard. This is the age to keep learning and understanding new things and realising that there are actually no limits to anything,” she shares.
The conversation also turned to the period after the life-changing accident that reshaped her future and eventually led her to para-sport. Reflecting on that chapter, she highlights, “Acceptance is one of the toughest things, but once it happens, everything becomes easier.”
Her relationship with badminton, however, began long before that turning point. Recalling the moment she realised the sport could become more than just a part of her recovery, she expresses, “I used to train for badminton since childhood, and in my family, we were always encouraged to pursue both sports and education. I was a district-level player in Mumbai and a winner in my 10th and 12th grades, but I never pursued badminton as a career and had never gone for state trials despite being a district-level medalist. However, I always continued playing during my college days, and since we had a badminton court on our campus, I never lost touch with the sport. After my injury, I trained again and started playing at the national level. When I won my first national medal and later got selected for international competitions and won medals there as well, I realised I still had something in me. I continued with my job while playing badminton, then decided to take a two-year break and see how far I could go. It has now been more than 10 years.”
Accessibility and inclusion remain subjects close to her heart, particularly because she has experienced first-hand the challenges that many people with disabilities continue to face. Sharing her thoughts on how India is progressing in this space, she shares, “A lot needs to change. If you open your mind to it, you will know that our country is not accessible as of now. But I also understand that the newer infrastructures that the government is building are very inclusive in nature, whether it is the metro, railways or anything else. Newer constructions are definitely taking care of the needs of all abilities, while the older infrastructure is still taking time. We even now believe inclusion is an afterthought, whereas it should be integrated into our building structure. It is very easy and requires only an inclusive mindset.”
Years of competition and achievement have also reshaped the way she views success. Looking back on a career filled with podium finishes, she reflects, “Perfection definitely is one definition for success for me. But over time, I have understood that it is the journey, while the destination is definitely something I really appreciate. For me, after earning more than 100 medals, participation, becoming better than yesterday, finding my energy and gaining my momentum is success.”
One milestone that still stands out in her journey is receiving the Arjuna Award in 2022. Speaking about what that recognition meant to her, she expresses, “I feel all my efforts got recognised at the national level. While I got a lot of international achievements and medals. When people close to you, your country, and your sport recognise your achievements, it gives you a lot of validation for your hard work. For me, that recognition felt very validating.”
Even with so much already accomplished, her focus remains firmly on what lies ahead. Discussing the goals currently driving her training and competition schedule, she concludes, “This October, we have the 2026 Asian Games. In the next few days, I’m flying to France and then to Ireland for a tournament, which will be the last qualification event for the Asian Games. My first ambition is to qualify for the 20th Asian Games to be held in September to October, and after that, I want to do well in the 2027 Paralympic Qualification Period.”
For Manasi, the medals, honours and accolades tell only part of the story. What continues to define her journey is the willingness to keep learning, improving and moving forward, whether on the badminton court or beyond it.