Nitesh Kumar Wins Gold at Paris Paralympics
Nitesh Kumar, an Indian para-shuttler, won a gold medal in the men’s singles SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics. He defeated Great Britain’s second-seeded Daniel Bethell in a thrilling match with scores of 21-14, 18-21, and 23-21.
Nitesh, who found his love for badminton at IIT-Mandi, added another gold to India’s medal tally. After his victory, he shared an emotional moment with his parents over a call, where they were teary-eyed and speechless.
He expressed his pride, saying, “When our national anthem started, and the Indian flag went up, I got goosebumps. I feel amazingly proud of myself.”
The match was intense, with both players showing a mix of aggression and defense. Nitesh secured the win when Daniel placed the shuttle outside the court, leading to a joyous celebration. The two athletes exchanged jerseys after the match.
Nitesh reached the final by defeating Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in straight sets, 21-16, 21-12, in the semifinals.
Doubts Revealed
Nitesh Kumar -: Nitesh Kumar is an Indian athlete who plays badminton. He recently won a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics.
Paris Paralympics -: The Paris Paralympics is a big sports event for athletes with disabilities, held in Paris, France. It’s like the Olympics but for differently-abled athletes.
SL3 category -: SL3 is a category in para-badminton for players with lower limb impairments. It means the players have some difficulty in moving their legs.
Great Britain -: Great Britain is a country in Europe. Daniel Bethell, who Nitesh Kumar defeated, is from there.
IIT-Mandi -: IIT-Mandi is a famous engineering college in India, located in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Nitesh Kumar discovered his love for badminton there.
Indian flag -: The Indian flag is the national flag of India. It has three colors: saffron, white, and green, with a blue wheel in the center.
National anthem -: The national anthem of India is ‘Jana Gana Mana.’ It is a song that represents the country and is played during important events.
21-14, 18-21, 23-21 -: These numbers are the scores of the badminton match. They show how many points each player scored in each game.
Exchanged jerseys -: Exchanging jerseys means that the players swapped their shirts as a sign of respect and friendship after the match.
