Paris: India’s Nitesh Kumar survived some nervy moments to beat England’s Daniel Bethell in the men’s SL3 badminton final to win a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024 on Monday. It was India’s second gold medal at the ongoing Paris Para Games 2024 after Avani Lekhara won the yellow metal in shooting. Competing in his maiden Paralympics final, Kumar won the first game 21-14. He led the Englishman 11-8 at one stage before Bethell staged a brilliant comeback to win the second game 21-18.
In the deciding game, the Indian was once again leading before Bethell levelled at 15-15. From there on it was neck-to-neck between the two before Kumar kept his calm to win 23-21. Currently ranked World No. 1 in the men’s singles SL3 category, Kumar has demonstrated a remarkable dedication to sports. With a degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT-Mandi, he has achieved excellence in academia and sports.
The 29-year-old from Haryana was rock solid in his defence and spot on with his shot selections as he beat Tokyo silver medallist Bethell in an absorbing contest that lasted an hour and 20 minutes. SL3 class players, like Nitesh, compete with more severe lower limb disabilities, requiring them to play on a half-width court.
When he was 15, Nitesh had lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009 but he recovered from the trauma and found his calling in para badminton. Nitesh’s victory on Monday ensured that India retained the SL3 gold after Pramod Bhagat clinched the title three years ago when para badminton made its debut in Tokyo.
With this medal, India now has two gold, three silver and four bronze medals at Paris Paralympics 2024. Incidentally, Bhagat had defeated Bethell in Tokyo in the final for his gold. This was also Kumar’s first win over Bethell in his career. Earlier, Kumar played Bethell nine times and lost every time.
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