Nitesh Kumar wins historic Gold medal in Men’s Singles Badminton SL3 at Paris Paralympics 2024

India’s Nitesh Kumar reached the top spot of the podium to register India’s second Gold medal win after Avani Lekhara in the Paris Paralympics in the Men’s Singles Badminton SL3 on Monday. Top-seeded Nitish went onto thump Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in a three-game oscillating thriller, resulting in 21-14, 18-21 and 23-21.

To underline the brilliance of this victory for Nitish, this was his 10th clash with the Briton and in the last nine meetings, the Indian had lost. However, when the grandest of occasions beckoned, Nitish dished out an absolute masterclass in perseverance and an ice-cold temperament to seize the gold.

The match-up against Bethell had several long rallies, especially in the first game. Such were the lengths of the rallies that one of them spanned on to 122 shots between them! After 31 staggering minutes, the first game came to its close. A late change in the playing style of both the shuttlers saw the rallies shortening down and Nitesh held onto his nerve to clinch gold, battling drift and a mountain of impediments that were hurled at him.