Nitesh Kumar Wins Gold at Paris Paralympics
Nitesh Kumar, a 29-year-old para-badminton player, achieved a remarkable victory in the men’s singles SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics. He defeated Great Britain’s second-seeded Daniel Bethell with a score of 21-14, 18-21, 23-21. Nitesh, who discovered his passion for badminton at IIT-Mandi, expressed his overwhelming emotions after the win, saying, “I cannot express in words what I am feeling. I am getting goosebumps every time I see the faces of Indians here and how proud they all are feeling.”
Strategy and Support
Nitesh credited his calm strategy for overcoming the challenge posed by Daniel Bethell. He said, “I always knew I had to play against him in the final, and I was prepared for it. He was the hot favourite, and he had more pressure to win and live up to the expectations of the people. I had never defeated him before. I knew I had to stay calm, and it would come my way. That’s what happened.”
India para-badminton coach Gaurav Khanna praised Nitesh’s performance, highlighting the difficulty of competing with an artificial leg against a player with natural legs. He said, “It was an outstanding game by Nitesh. Since he is an amputee, playing and balancing with an artificial leg & competing with a player who has natural legs- it is definitely a wonderful job.”
Record-Breaking Medal Tally
Nitesh’s gold medal helped India achieve its best-ever medal tally at the Paralympics with 20 medals, surpassing the Tokyo edition’s 19 medals. Coach Khanna expressed his happiness, saying, “I am very happy. Our targets were very high though, we could not achieve them, but we have crossed the Tokyo Paralympic medal tally.”
Archery Success
Indian para-archers Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi also made the country proud by winning a bronze medal in the mixed-team compound event. They defeated Italy’s Eleonora Sarti and Matteo Bonnacina with a scoreline of 156-155. Rakesh dedicated the medal to the entire country, saying, “It is a very good feeling that I could bring a medal for the country in the compound event. I thank the citizens of the country, and I dedicate the medal to them.” Sheetal, participating in her first Paralympics, expressed her delight, saying, “I am feeling good. This was my first Paralympics, and I gave the country a medal.”
Doubts Revealed
Nitesh Kumar -: Nitesh Kumar is a para-badminton player from India who recently won a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics.
Paris Paralympics -: The Paris Paralympics is a major international sports event where athletes with disabilities compete in various sports. It is held in Paris, France.
SL3 category -: The SL3 category in para-badminton is for players who have a disability that affects one or both lower limbs and have minimal impairment in walking or running.
Daniel Bethell -: Daniel Bethell is a para-badminton player from Great Britain who competed against Nitesh Kumar in the men’s singles SL3 category.
IIT-Mandi -: IIT-Mandi is the Indian Institute of Technology located in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. It is a prestigious engineering and technology institute in India.
Coach Gaurav Khanna -: Gaurav Khanna is a coach who trains para-badminton players in India. He praised Nitesh Kumar’s performance in the Paris Paralympics.
Rakesh Kumar -: Rakesh Kumar is an Indian para-archer who, along with Sheetal Devi, won a bronze medal in the mixed-team compound event at the Paris Paralympics.
Sheetal Devi -: Sheetal Devi is an Indian para-archer who, along with Rakesh Kumar, won a bronze medal in the mixed-team compound event at the Paris Paralympics.
mixed-team compound event -: The mixed-team compound event in archery is a competition where a male and a female archer team up to compete against other teams.
