 "Para-shuttler Nitesh Kumar in action during the Paris Paralympics. Image: Instagram")
Nitesh Kumar clinched his first Olympic medal after beating Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 in the gold medal match of the men’s singles SL3 class at the Paris Paralympics on Monday (September 2).
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In the process, he ticked India’s medal tally along to nine. Yogesh Kathuniya had won India’s first medal of the day, clinching a silver in discus throw.
Nitesh is the second Indian to win a gold medal at the ongoing Paris 2024 Paralympics. Shooter Avani Lekhara had won the first in Women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1.
The 29-year-old Nitesh, who overcame permanent leg damage from a 2009 accident, let his dominance of the match slip in the second game and had to produce a spirited fight to clinch the yellow metal.
The IIT Mandi graduate, who won three medals, including a singles silver at the 2022 Para Asian Games, has ensured 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.
Coming into the day, India were assured of three medals in para-badminton. Nitesh Kumar was one alongside Thulasimathi Murugesan (women’s singles SU5) and Suhas Yathiraj (men’s singles SL4). There’s chances of two more medals when Sukant Kadam and Manisha Ramadass will compete in the bronze medal playoffs.
Earlier on Monday, Nithya Sumathy Sivan and Sivarajan Solaimalai went down in straight games in the Mixed Doubles SH6 Bronze Medal Match Match. They lost 17-21, 12-21 to Indonesia’s Subhan and Rina Marlina.