India's Kumar Nitesh clinched his maiden gold medal at the Paralympics, defeating Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in a gripping men's singles SL3 badminton final in Paris on Monday.
The 29-year-old from Haryana showcased incredible resilience and tactical brilliance, overcoming Tokyo silver medallist Bethell in a nail-biting contest that lasted an hour and 20 minutes, with the final scoreline reading 21-14, 18-21, 23-21.
"I still don't feel it. May be when I go to the podium and the national anthem is played, it will sink in," Nitesh said after the match.
Competing in the SL3 category, which is reserved for players with severe lower limb disabilities and requires to play on a half-width court, Nitesh's journey to gold was anything but ordinary.
At the age of 15, he lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009. However, this devastating event didn't crush his spirit.
His victory on Monday not only marked a personal triumph but also ensured that India retained the SL3 gold, which Pramod Bhagat had won three years ago when badminton made its Paralympic debut in Tokyo.
Facing an opponent who had beaten him nine times in the past, Nitesh displayed immense mental fortitude as he recorded his first win over Bethell.
"I didn't think it this way. Thoughts were coming into my mind how I will win. But I was not thinking about what I will do after I win, I pushed that feeling away," he said.
The final was a test of endurance and skill, with both players engaging in excruciating rallies, including a nearly three-minute rally of 122 shots in the opening game.
Nitesh's sharp reverse hits, delicate drop shots, and polished net play kept Bethell on his toes throughout the match.
The opening game saw Nitesh trailing 6-9 at one point, but his rock-solid defense allowed him to claw back, entering the break with a two-point cushion. He then surged ahead to an 18-14 lead, eventually sealing the game when Bethell sent the shuttle wide.
Nitesh could have won in straight games as he was leading 14-12 at one stage but Bethell staged a comeback, forcing the contest to a decider.
In the final game, the tension was palpable as the two athletes matched each other point for point, moving from 8-8 to 19-19. Nitesh had the first championship point at 20-19 but couldn't convert it. Bethell, too, had a match point at 21-20 but faltered at the net. Finally, the Indian seized his opportunity, taking the match after Bethell hit long and wide.
"I have lost such situation against him and I didn't want to make the same mistakes. I had lost my calm in the past so I told myself that I should keep fighting for each point. At 19-20 in decider also I told myself to stick in there and make him earn the point," Nitesh said.
"I usually don't play with such patience and trust my strokes as they are deceptive but when I started in the first game here, I planned that I have to play well the first few points to get comfortable. Then I can play my strokes and I could see he was desperate. But due to the conditions, I didn't try too many variations, just looked to play steady."
The moment of victory for Nitesh was a culmination of years of hard work and perseverance. The journey from being bedridden after his accident to standing atop the Paralympic podium is a testament to his indomitable spirit.
A navy officer's son, Nitesh had once dreamed of following in his father's footsteps and joining the defence forces. However, the accident shattered those dreams.
It was a visit to the Artificial Limbs Centre in Pune, where he witnessed war veterans pushing their limits despite their injuries, that reignited his determination to overcome his own challenges.
Nitesh made his para-badminton debut at the 2016 Nationals in Faridabad, where he won a bronze. His rise continued on the global stage as well. He won three medals, including a silver in singles, at the Asian Para Games in 2022.
Earlier, the Indian mixed doubles para-badminton pair of Sivarajan Solaimalai and Nithya Sre Sivan endured a loss in the bronze medal match at the ongoing Paris Paralympics on Monday.
In the mixed doubles SH6 bronze medal match, Sivarajan-Nithya lost to Indonesia's Rina Marlina and Subhan in two straight games by 17-21, 12-21.
In the semifinals of the mixed doubles SH6 category, Sivarajan and Nithya lost to USA's M Krajewski and J Simon by 21-17, 14-21, 13-21, but qualified for the bronze medal match.
India has secured a total of seven medals at the ongoing Paris Paralympics, with one gold medal, two silvers, and four bronze medals.
This year, India has sent its largest Paralympics contingent ever, comprising 84 athletes across 12 sports, a testament to the country's expanding para-sports ecosystem. India's participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics marks not only a significant increase in numbers but also in medal hopes, as the nation aims to surpass its previous achievements in Tokyo.
Tokyo 2020 was India's most successful Paralympic Games, with the country winning 19 medals, including five golds, eight silver and six bronzes.
