Indian shuttler Nitesh Kumar on 2 September scripted history by winning his maiden gold medal at the Paralympics, as he defeated Britain’s Daniel Bethell 21-14, 18-21 and 23-21 in the gold medal match held at Paris’ Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
With his win, India’s tally at the Paris Paralympics 2024 reached to 11, including two golds, four silvers, and five bronzes.
After winning the gold medal in the Para-Badminton Men’s Singles SL3 category, Nitesh Kumar said, as quoted by news agency PTI, “Now I can feel what I have done. When the national anthem was playing and the flag was slowly going up, that moment gave me goosebumps. Now I can say that I have done something huge for my country and I am proud of myself.”
The 29-year-old was spot on with his shot selections as he beat Tokyo silver medalist Bethell in a contest that lasted for an hour and 20 minutes.
With his victory, India retained the SL3 gold in badminton after Pramod Bhagat clinched it three years ago at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, where the event was introduced for the first time.
Players like Kumar, who contest under the SL3 class, compete with severe lower limb disabilities, requiring them to play on a half-width court.
Meanwhile, two other female shuttlers – Thulasimathi Murugesan, and Manisha Ramadass – won silver and bronze medals, respectively in the women’s singles SU5 category.
PM Modi congratulates Nitesh:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him on winning the gold medal. He took to X and wrote, “A tremendous achievement by Nitesh Kumar in the Para Badminton Men’s Singles SL3, as he wins the Gold! He is known for his incredible skills and perseverance. May he keep motivating upcoming athletes.”
Nitesh, who is also an alumni of IIT Mandi, works as a Senior Badminton Coach for the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs in Haryana