Exclusive | Para-shuttler Kadam on how Tokyo 2020 changed mindset, opens up on influence of roommates Bhagat, Nagar

Sukant Kadam had a hard time dealing with the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. The para-shuttler was roommates with Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar and the three of them had dreamt of representing the nation together in the Paralympic Games, the biggest tournament of them all for para-athletes.

Both Bhagat and Nagar would go on to win gold in Tokyo, contributing to two out of India’s five top-of-the-podium finishes in what was a record-breaking Paralympic Games for the nation. Kadam could only watch them conquer the very best in the world in their respective categories on a television set.

Read | India at Paralympics: Full list of medal winners

Their dream of competing on the grand stage together was nearly fulfilled three years later after all three made the cut for the Paris Games. Bhagat, however, was slapped with an 18-month suspension shortly before the trip to the French capital due to multiple whereabouts violations under the BWF’s anti-doping rules.

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Kadam and Nagar have boarded the flight to the ‘City of Light’, the latter hoping to win a second consecutive gold medal. As for Kadam, he remains confident of a solid display in Paris after having learnt so much from his roomies, the details of which he shared in an exclusive conversation with Firstpost ahead of the Paralympics.

“The two gold medals were won by my roommates. We used to stay together, Pramod bhaiya and Krishna. We had a dream of all three of us (winning gold), and then I couldn’t qualify. So back then they had helped me a lot to come out of the situation (disappointment of not qualifying) and when they won two gold medals, I was the happiest person for them. I went to the airport also to pick them up when they were coming,” Kadam said in the conversation.

“Both of them are different. Krishna is very young, Pramod bhaiya is an experienced athlete. There is a lot to learn from both, the calmness of Pramod bhaiya, the aggression of Krishna. Lot of positive things from them, and going into that platform and giving your best is a huge inspiration.

“The calmness and the aggression, you should use it at the right time and at the right moment because aggression has an advantage and a disadvantage too. Same for calmness. You should be able to pick these two traits and exhibit them at the right time. That is something that these two inspire,” added the 29-year-old para-shuttler from Maharashtra.

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Kadam further opened up on the influence that senior para-shuttler Bhagat — a six-time World Championships gold medallist and a double Asian Para-Games gold medallist — has had on his journey in the sport. Two would not only spend a lot of time training together, they would end up playing doubles and would end up becoming the top-ranked pair in the SL-3/SL-4 category.

“He taught me a lot about calmness because I used to have quite the temper when I used to play bigger tournaments, which resulted in several defeats. He started influencing me on the art of staying calm during a match and observing one’s opponent,” Kadam said.

“He guided me on a lot of other things as well, and I got to learn a lot from him. The amount of time that we spent together, we grew as players after exchanging so much information. Being a doubles partner with him, I used to understand him, because understanding your partner is key to playing doubles badminton.

“We used to train together, then we started playing together and eventually became world number one,” he added.

‘Tokyo haul brought about a change in mindset’

Kadam, who started off as a cricket fan at an early age before shifting his focus to badminton, isn’t just confident about shining on his maiden appearance at the Paralympics Games, he’s just as sure of India winning twice as many medals as they did in Tokyo, not just in para-badminton but across all sports.

Kadam, after all, is one of 13 para-shuttlers representing India in the upcoming Paralympics that gets underway on Wednesday, 28 August. That’s nearly twice the number representing India in the Tokyo Games, where Suhas Yathiraj and Manoj Sarkar won silver and bronze respectively and Tarun Dhillon nearly won a medal himself after finishing fourth.

"Hello everyone, this is Sukant Kadam. As we gear up for the Paris Paralympics 2024, let's unite in our support for all the incredible athletes representing us on the world stage. Every athlete has put in countless hours of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to get here.… pic.twitter.com/1iOE86YxPY

— Sukant Kadam (@sukant9993) August 25, 2024

Kadam felt that the amount of competition one faces in India makes them strong medal contenders for global events such as the Paralympics.

“The last time we had won four medals — two gold, a silver and a bronze. We’re eyeing twice as many medals this time around. It was a seven-member team that had played in the Tokyo Games the last time, and this time we’re a 13-strong team in Paris. And all are medal contenders,” Kadam said.

“There is so much competition when it comes to para-badminton players in India… once you overcome that, international platform appears an easy platform. All the players are dedicated and are medal contenders. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have qualified, the competition was so tough."

Read | India’s Paralympics history: Edition-wise performance and full list of medal winners

It’s also worth noting that as many as three Indians will be competing in the men’s singles SL4 category — Yathiraj and Dhillon besides Kadam — making it the first time as many Indian para-shuttlers are competing in a single category at the Paralympics.

“My category (SL4) had the highest level of competition, and the three of us representing India in that category are confident of a podium sweep. The three of us qualifying is also a historic moment for Indian para-badminton as for the first time, three Indians have qualified in the same category of the sport in the Paralympics.

“Personally, I am very confident about the podium, but I’m aiming and dreaming about gold. The way my team and I have prepared and put in work in the last three months was brilliant. This is my best shape right now and I’m in my best mindset. So, I am aiming for the best result in Paris 2024,” Kadam added.

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And it’s not just the badminton team he’s confident of a medal rush from. The entire contingent, he says, is high on confidence at the moment after the nation’s outstanding performance in Tokyo.

Kadam, for one, feels that winning 19 medals in the Japanese capital and finishing 24th overall on the medal table has brought about a paradigm shift in the mindset of Indian para-athletes – wherein they’re no longer content with qualifying for the finals or with a podium finish but are aiming for nothing less than gold.

“The last time we won 19 medals, but won very few gold (5). This is the first event since the Asian Games that Indians are participating in so many categories, from athletics and badminton to swimming and archery. We all are together representing the country, and everybody is aiming for the medal. So we do get this team-like feeling.

“Winning 19 medals at the last Paralympics has brought about a mindset shift, wherein we are no longer content in simply winning medals and every athlete is aiming for gold. Just podium was the initial target, but now we have moved on and are aiming for gold.

“It’s only with more gold medals that we can finish among the top 20, and I’m confident of a top-15 finish given the athletes’ mindset and the amount of hard work that they have put in so far,” Kadam signed off.