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Paris Paralympics 2024: Nitesh Kumar (X/SAI)
Nitesh Kumar assured India a medal after he booked his spot in the SL3 category men’s singles final at Paris Paralympics 2024.
Top-seeded Indian shuttler Nitesh Kumar defeated Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara 21-16, 21-12 to book his place in the SL3 category men’s singles final and assure India a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday.
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“I have been performing consistently, so I had the self belief that I will make the finals and it feels amazing to actually do that because there is pressure and I had lost my mixed doubles but I didn’t let it affect me,” he said.
The IIT Mandi graduate, who won three medals, including a singles silver at the 2022 Asian Games, thus ensured that India return with a medal from the SL3 category, after Pramod Bhagat clinched the gold when para badminton made its debut three years ago in Tokyo.
SL3 class players, like Nitesh, compete with more severe lower limb disabilities, requiring play on a half-width court.
In the summit clash, Nitesh will face Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell, who registered a decisive 21-7, 21-9 victory over Thailand’s Bunsun Mongkhon. Bethell, who was the runner-up to Pramod Bhagat in the Tokyo Games, is a formidable opponent, setting the stage for an electrifying final.
Nitesh’s sports journey began with a passion for football in childhood. However, an accident in Visakhapatnam left him bedridden for months and resulted in permanent leg damage. Despite this, his interest in sports endured, particularly during his time at IIT-Mandi, where he developed a keen interest in badminton.
He kept honing his skills along with studies and made his debut at the Nationals in Faridabad, winning a bronze while representing Haryana.
The following year, he clinched silver in singles and bronze in doubles at Bengaluru, establishing himself in para-badminton.
His domestic success peaked at the 2020 Nationals, where he defeated Pramod and Manoj Sarkar to win gold.
Nitesh’s win assured India’s third medal from para badminton.
India were assured of a medal in badminton with Manisha Ramadass setting up a women’s singles SU5 semifinals duel with compatriot Thulasimathi Murugesan. On Saturday, Sukant Kadam earned the right to take on compatriot Suhas Yathiraj in SL4 semifinals to assure the country its first medal in badminton from this edition of the Games.
(With inputs from Agencies)
