Nitesh Wins Gold, Suhas and Thulasimathi Secure Silver at Paralympics Badminton

Kumar Nitesh secured his first Paralympic gold in men's singles SL3, while Suhas Yathiraj and Thulasimathi Murugesan earned silver medals in SL4 and SU5 categories respectively. India celebrated four badminton medals at the Paris Games on Monday. Young Manisha Ramadass added to the tally with a bronze in women's singles SU5, marking a historic day for Indian para badminton.

Nitesh, 29, who lost his left leg in a train accident in 2009, displayed remarkable resilience and tactical brilliance in his 21-14, 18-21, 23-21 victory over Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in a gripping final. "I still don’t feel it," Nitesh said after the 80-minute match. "Maybe when I go to the podium and the national anthem is played, it will sink in."

IAS Officer to Second Straight Silver: Suhas

In the SL4 category, Suhas, a 2007 batch IAS officer, became the first Indian shuttler to win back-to-back silver medals at the Paralympics. He fell 9-21, 13-21 to France’s Lucas Mazur in the men’s singles final. "It wasn’t my day; I’m not happy with my performance," said Suhas. "In a Paralympic final, you cannot afford so many unforced errors. I should have concentrated on my strokes much better."

Suhas admitted he didn’t know how to process the silver medal and apologized to fans for not meeting their expectations. "It’s very mixed feelings -- on one hand, you’ve won silver, but on the other, you’ve lost gold. I’m sorry for letting my countrymen down."

Thulasimathi's Journey of Resilience

In the women’s singles SU5 category, 22-year-old Thulasimathi Murugesan fought hard but lost 17-21, 10-21 to China’s defending champion Yang Qiuxia, taking home the silver. Born with a congenital deformity in her left hand, she faced numerous challenges. "I’m happy with the silver, but a bit disappointed that I couldn’t give my best," she said. "I made a lot of mistakes. I should have taken the first set."

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Manisha Ramadass secured bronze by defeating Denmark’s Cathrine Rosengren 21-12, 21-8. Born with Erb’s Palsy affecting her right arm, Manisha expressed her joy: "I’m very happy. I’m on cloud nine." She added, "I was really disappointed yesterday, but I poured all that anger on the court today. But this is not enough for me; I will work hard for the next four years to change the color of the medal."

The SU5 category is for athletes with upper limb impairments affecting either the playing or non-playing hand.

Nitesh's Journey: From Bedridden to Paralympic Podium

Nitesh’s journey to gold is extraordinary. At 15, he lost his left leg in a train accident in 2009. This devastating event couldn’t crush his spirit. His victory ensured that India retained the SL3 gold which Pramod Bhagat won three years ago when badminton made its Paralympic debut in Tokyo.

The Haryana shuttler discovered his love for badminton during his time at IIT-Mandi. Inspired by fellow para shuttler Pramod Bhagat and cricketer Virat Kohli's dedication, Nitesh rebuilt his life. "Pramod bhaiya has been an inspiration. I also admire Virat Kohli for how he transformed himself into a fit athlete."

Nitesh once dreamed of joining the defence forces but an accident shattered those dreams. A visit to the Artificial Limbs Centre in Pune reignited his determination to overcome challenges after seeing war veterans pushing their limits despite injuries.

Nitesh made his para-badminton debut at the 2016 Nationals in Faridabad, winning bronze. His rise continued globally with three medals including a silver in singles at the 2022 Asian Para Games.

Sukant Kadam had a chance to add another bronze but lost 17-21 18-21 to third seed Indonesian Fredy Setaiwan in men's singles SL4 third-place play-off.

Suhas Yathiraj’s journey is marked by both academic and athletic excellence despite a congenital deformity in his left ankle. He earned a degree in Computer Engineering from NIT Surathkal and joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). During COVID-19 pandemic, Suhas served as District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar and previously as DM of Prayagraj.

Currently serving as Secretary and Director-General of Youth Welfare and Prantiya Rakshak Dal under Uttar Pradesh government, Suhas’ entry into para badminton came later in life but his rise was rapid.

Thulasimathi was born with a congenital deformity that left her without a thumb on her left hand facing numbness tingling weakness along with thinning muscle mass compounded by severe injury from an accident limiting mobility affecting extension flexion.

Despite her disability Thulasimathi's sporting journey began at age five fully immersed by seven supported by father D Murugesan who trained her five years introducing para sports pivotal career moment winning three medals last year's Asian Para Games including gold women's singles.

India's achievements at Paris Games highlight resilience determination athletes overcoming personal challenges achieving excellence inspiring nation proud moments future aspirations continue strive higher goals global stage para sports.