Nithya Sre Sivan: A cricket fan who gained interest in para-badminton after witnessing 2016 Paralympics

Nithya Sre Sivan has become one of the most prominent names in para-badminton. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics on Monday, the 19 year-old clinched a bronze medal in the women’s singles SH6 category, defeating Indonesia’s Rina Marlina in straight games, with the final score reading 21-14, 21-6.

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This feat follows the two bronze medals that Nithya had won at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, in the women’s doubles team and the women’s mixed team categories.

Who is Nithya Sre Sivan and what are her achievements?

Born on 1 July, 2005, Nithya hails from Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Nithya’s favourite sport initially was cricket, a game where her brother was a district level player and her father was a passionate fan. During the Rio Paralympics in 2016, Nithya, who has a condition of short stature, witnessed several sporting events on television, and was particularly impressed with badminton. She admired Chinese badminton legend Lin Dan, and on reading news articles about him online, her interest in badminton deepened further.

She the joined a local badminton academy where she began training. In 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown, Nithya discovered para-badminton, courtesy her father’s colleague who was a state-level badminton player. Encouraged by her coach, Nithya’s father entered her into the Tamil Nadu para-badminton state championship, where she participated and showcased her skills.

On being introduced to para-badminton, Nithya took the opportunity to train under Gaurav Khanna, the head coach of the Indian para-badminton team. This marked a significant milestone in her journey, prompting her to relocate to Lucknow for professional training under his guidance.

Nithya has since enjoyed success at the international stage in the para-badminton, and the bronze medal in Paris is certainly something for the youngster to cherish about.

What are Nithya Sre Sivan’s achievements?

—Asian Para Games (2022) - Bronze Medal in women’s singles

—Asian Para Games (2022) - Bronze Medal in mixed doubles

—Asian Para Games (2022) - Bronze Medal in women’s doubles

—World Championship (2024) – Bronze Medal in women’s singles

—World Championship (2022) - Bronze Medal in women’s singles

—World Championship (2022) - Bronze Medal in women’s singles

—World Championship (2022) - Bronze Medal in mixed doubles

—4 Nations Para Badminton International (2024)-Gold Medal in women’s singles & Silver Medal in mixed doubles

—Spanish Para Badminton International 2024- I (2024)- Gold Medal in women’s singles & Bronze in mixed doubles

Government support

—Financial Assistance for Equipment

—Financial Assistance for Expert Services

—Financial Assistance for Training & Competition

—Training camp at Dr. Shakuntala Misra

—National Rehabilitation University, Lucknow for 50 days

—Out of Pocket Allowance under TOPS