Nitesh Kumar's Inspiring Path from Adversity to Paralympic Badminton Finalist

Nitesh Kumar, now on the brink of Paralympic success, once faced a bleak period confined to bed. At 15, he lost his leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009. This incident left him bedridden for months, grappling with despair and uncertainty about his future.

During his time at IIT-Mandi, Nitesh discovered badminton, which became his refuge and source of resilience. "My childhood has been a little different. I used to play football, and then the accident happened. I had to quit sports permanently and got into studies. But then sports came back into my life," he shared. He recently reached the badminton SL3 final with a decisive win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara.

Inspiration from Fellow Athletes

Nitesh drew inspiration from para shuttler Pramod Bhagat and cricketer Virat Kohli. "Pramod bhaiyya [Pramod Bhagat] has been an inspiration. Not just because of how skillful and experienced he is, but also because of how humble he is as a human being," Nitesh said. He also admired Kohli's transformation into a fit athlete, noting his discipline and fitness.

His father, a navy officer, influenced Nitesh's early aspirations. "I was crazy about uniforms. I used to see my father in his uniform, and I wanted to be in either sports or a defense job like the Army or Navy," he recalled. However, the accident shattered these dreams.

Turning Point at Artificial Limbs Centre

A visit to the Artificial Limbs Centre in Pune changed Nitesh's outlook on life. He saw war veterans who had lost limbs pushing their limits. "I saw 40-45-year-old people playing football, cycling, and running on crutches. I told myself that if they can do that at that age, I can turn my life around," he reflected.

Nitesh made his debut at the 2016 Nationals in Faridabad, winning bronze for Haryana. The following year, he secured silver in singles and bronze in doubles at Bengaluru, establishing himself in para-badminton.

Domestic Success and Paralympic Dreams

His domestic achievements peaked at the 2020 Nationals when he defeated Paralympic medalists Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar to win gold. Watching Bhagat win gold in Tokyo fueled Nitesh's own Paralympic aspirations. Now, that dream is within reach.

"I have been performing consistently, so I had the self-belief that I would make the finals. It feels amazing to actually do that, especially after losing my mixed doubles. I didn’t let it affect me," he said.

Currently focused on the final match, Nitesh remains grounded. "I haven’t thought about the final. I will focus on my recovery after the match. Generally, I discuss the match with my coach on the morning of the game. I don’t want to think about it the whole night; I’d rather focus on recovery now," he concluded.