Paralympics: Nitesh Kumar wins Badminton Gold

India's Nitesh Kumar clinched badminton gold at the Paris Paralympics in the men's singles SL3 competition on Monday. Top-seeded Nitesh beat Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in a three-game thriller 21-14, 18-21, 23-21. Nitesh had played 9 times against Bethell, but had never defeated him in his entire career.Nitesh's incredible patience. His match against Bethell was characterised by long rallies in the first game. Nitesh beat Bethell in the first game 21-14, where the longest rally of the match was 122 shots. It took a total of 31 minutes for the first game to finish, which left both players tired and gasping for air.

NITESH KUMAR WINS GOLD!

What an absolutely phenomenal performance by Nitesh Kumar in the Men's Singles SL3! After a thrilling three-set match, Nitesh has clinched the gold with a final scoreline of 21-14, 18-21, 23-21. The 3rd set was an edge-of-the-seat battle that… pic.twitter.com/ReQa663Hfm

— Paralympic Committee of India (@PCI_IN_Official) September 2, 2024

Nitesh Kumar's life took a dramatic turn in 2009 when he suffered a permanent injury to his leg in an accident, which left him bedridden for months. Despite this setback, Kumar continued to focus on his studies, taking a year off to prepare for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) entrance examinations. His hard work paid off, and he secured admission to IIT Mandi in 2013. During his time at the prestigious university, Kumar developed an interest in badminton, which eventually became his passion.Kumar's para-badminton career began in 2016 when he earned a spot in the Haryana team to participate in the Para National Championships.Nitesh Kumar remains a shining example for aspiring para-athletes worldwide.