Nitesh Kumar became India's first shuttler to win a gold medal at the Paris Paralympics on Monday as he defeated Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the final of the men's singles SL3 classification event. (Full Coverage | More Sports News)
Nitesh has become only India's second gold medallist at the Paris Paralympics after Avani Lekhara. The medal also helps India retain the Paralympics title in the SL3 event which was won by Pramod Bhagat in Tokyo 2020.
Here is a short profile on Nitesh Kumar, India's latest gold medalist at the Paralympics in Paris.
Who is Nitesh Kumar?
As a child, Nitesh was passionate about football. However, a life altering accident changed everything for the Haryana born. A road accident in Vizag in 2009 left him with permanently damaged legs. His physical ability was vastly hindered but mentally, Nitesh remained determined and his love for sports never waned.
While pursuing his Electrical Engineering degree from IIT Mandi, he developed a liking for badminton. He soon became so good a shuttler that he could compete with his able-bodied peers in Mandi.
By 2016, Nitesh was representing his state, Haryana, at the Para nationals. From here on Nitesh kept climbing up and up.
The pinnacle of Nitesh's domestic success came in the 2020 Nationals, where he triumphed over Tokyo Paralympic medalists Pramod and Manoj to secure the gold medal. Beyond national accolades, Nitesh kept getting podium finishes at Asian and World levels.
On Monday, in his very first Paralympics, Nitesh achieved a gold.
Nitesh Kumar Achievement
● Paralympic Games (2024) - Gold Medal in MS
● Asian Para Games (2022) - Gold Medal in MD
● Asian Para Games (2022) - Silver Medal in MS
● Asian Para Games (2022) - Bronze Medal in XD
● Asian Para Games (2018) - Bronze Medal in MD
● World Championship (2024) – Bronze Medal in MS
● World Championship (2022) – Silver Medal in MS
● World Championship (2019) – Silver Medal in MD
