Indian Para Shuttler Nitesh Kumar Secures Maiden Paralympic Medal
Indian para shuttler Nitesh Kumar has secured a maiden medal in the men’s singles SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics. The 29-year-old defeated Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in straight games (21-16, 21-12) in the semifinals on Sunday.
Kumar, who overcame permanent leg damage from a 2009 accident, has been performing consistently and expressed his self-belief in reaching the finals. He said, “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.”
In the summit clash, Kumar will face Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell, who defeated Thailand’s Bunsun Mongkhon in the other semifinal. Bethell, who was the runner-up to Pramod Bhagat in the Tokyo Games, is a formidable opponent, setting the stage for an electrifying final.
Kumar’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. Kumar’s win assured India’s third medal from para badminton after Manisha Ramadass confirmed a podium after setting up a women’s singles SU5 semifinals duel with compatriot Thulasimathi Murugesan.
India’s medal hopes were further bolstered by Nithya Sivan Sumathy, who advanced to the women’s singles SH6 semifinals with a 21-4, 21-7 victory over Poland’s Oliwia Szmigiel. 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.