Will this be Daniel Bethell’s big moment?

The Great Britain SL3 player has won everything but the World Championships or the Paralympics. Having finished second-best thrice in the majors – a silver at the Tokyo Paralympics and two silvers at the World Championships – Bethell has been desperately close in the past.

Yet, Paris 2024 could be his stage to shine. Reigning champion and Bethell’s biggest on-court adversary, Pramod Bhagat, will be missing this time. Bethell himself, after a runner-up finish at the World Championships in Thailand, enjoyed the perfect tune-up for the Paralympics (29 August to 2 September 2024) by winning the 4 Nations Para Badminton International in Glasgow in June.

Perhaps the biggest point of interest at the Paralympics will be the form of the Chinese players, who have barely been seen all season. They did turn up at the World Championships and performed as expected, pocketing 13 gold medals, but then they chose to skip the remaining tournaments, including those in Asia and Europe. With stars like Qu Zi Mo (WH1), Liu Yu Tong (WH2) and Cheng He Fang (SL4) leading a clutch of world-beaters, China will eye another rich haul.

Among the other standout favourites are Malaysia’s Cheah Liek Hou (MS SU5), Japan’s Daiki Kajiwara (MS WH2) and Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila in her two doubles. Oktila is also a top contender in SL4 women’s singles, and she will aim for a historic triple, for which she has to, in all likelihood, get the better of Cheng He Fang.

In men’s singles SH6 Chu Man Kai has been the most impressive performer this season. Chu enjoyed a four-title winning streak, picking up titles in the two Spanish PB Internationals, and continuing his run of form in Bahrain and Glasgow.

Close contests are expected in a number of categories. WH1 Paralympic champion Sarina Satomi could only manage a bronze at the World Championships, but bounced back to win the Spanish PB International-II and the 4 Nations.

There will obviously be plenty of attention on home contenders such as Lucas Mazur (MS SL4), Meril Loquette (MS SU5) and Milena Surreau (WS SL4). Mazur, SL4 winner in Tokyo, will again be favourite, but he will be wary of Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, with whom he has a close rivalry.