All posts tagged: Para-badminton

More medals and a big rise around the World

More medals and a big rise around the World

Published by Webster

The Indian para sports ecosystem has been growing exponentially over the years, having multiple world championship titles and Paralympic medals across various sports. Historically, India has won 60 medals at the Paralympic Games, but 48 of those were won in just the last two editions, showcasing the country’s rise in this sport. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, India accounted for almost half (29) of its all-time Paralympic medals, securing a historic first top-20 finish on the medal table. This rise in Indian para sports is not a one-off. The country has regularly been on an upward trend and has shown consistency across tournaments. Historic Asian Para Games India had a phenomenal outing at the 2023 Asian Para Games, surpassing three digits in medal count for the first time with a historic tally of 111 medals, finishing fifth overall. This was a massive increase for India from the last edition, where they had 72 medals, implying the continuous progress across various para sports programmes in India. To explore more opportunities across various sports, click here for …

Paralympics medallist Manoj Sarkar meets with accident; admitted in ICU

Paralympics medallist Manoj Sarkar meets with accident; admitted in ICU

Published by Webster

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist Manoj Sarkar reportedly met with an accident on early Friday morning and is admitted in an ICU. Sarkar was travelling between Rudrapur and Lucknow along with fellow para shuttler Mandeep Kaur and a driver. As per Amar Ujala, the incident occurred as a Nilgai suddenly appeared in the middle of the road and the driver lost control of the vehicle trying to avoid collision and drove into the roadside railings. All three occupants of the car were seriously injured. Sarkar, an Arjuna awardee from 2018, is a former world No 1 in men’s singles SL3. Apart from the Paralympics bronze medal, he has also won as many as ten World Championships medal and three Asian Para Games medals. Sarkar was last seen in action at the 2026 BWF World Para Badminton Championships earlier this month. Kaur, meanwhile, has an Asian Para Games bronze medal against her name. She has also bagged four medals at the BWF World Para Badminton Championships, including a bronze in the 2026 edition earlier this …

Para shuttler Palak Kohli ineligible for 2026 World Para Badminton Championships

Para shuttler Palak Kohli ineligible for 2026 World Para Badminton Championships

Published by Webster

In a major blow to India’s hopes, Palak Kohli has been ruled out of the 2026 BWF World Para Badminton Championships, which is slated to be held early next year. The 23-year-old is deemed ineligible as her status in the list of invitees for the tournament is marked as R-NAO, which implies review at next available opportunity. Palak had won a bronze in women’s singles at the 2024 World Championships in Pattaya. Indian para-badminton team’s head coach and Palak’s mentor Gaurav Khanna told The Bridge: “Palak has undergone two surgeries post the Asian Championships. She suffered Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL). She underwent surgery in July and since the adhesions did not remove, the doctors performed another surgery in October. She is not in a position to play. Palak has been out of action since she settled for a silver at the 2025 Asian Para Badminton Championships in Thailand. She was forced to retire in the third set due to a mid-game knee twist. “The surgery is …

Pramod Bhagat and the art of not giving up: How former Paralympics champion shuttler bounced back from anti-doping ban | Badminton News

Pramod Bhagat and the art of not giving up: How former Paralympics champion shuttler bounced back from anti-doping ban | Badminton News

Published by Webster

Thinking like a pugilist is something four-time para badminton world champion Pramod Bhagat had taught himself to learn. Like a prizefighter of yore, Bhagat reckoned that no matter how shockingly success had slid from his grasp, opponents couldn’t be allowed to think they could defeat him easily when he resurfaced after serving a whereabouts-related anti-doping ban. “I fought in the final at China, my first tournament on return, for 2 hours 10 minutes. I needed that title immediately because I couldn’t let other players think my domination was finished after being away for 1.5 years,” he said. After missing the Paris Paralympics as he was serving suspension, Bhagat is now back in the top 5 of singles in para badminton’s SL-3 category. It wasn’t ‘aham’ (ego) as some might think it to be. But a large part of the Odia shuttler’s success has been based on maintaining that mental grip over opponents who know he simply won’t give up — not in a rally, not a match, a title, or his career. Afflicted by polio …

Para shuttler Krishna Nagar dedicates medal to the Indian Defence Forces

Para shuttler Krishna Nagar dedicates medal to the Indian Defence Forces

Published by Webster

One of India’s celebrated para badminton athletes, Krishna Nagar, secured a bronze medal at the recently concluded 6th Fazza Dubai Para Badminton International 2025 on Sunday. The Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist lost to Brazil’s Vitor Tavares 24-21, 22-16 in the men’s singles SH6 category. In a touching tribute, Krishna dedicated his bronze medal to the defence forces of India, acknowledging their relentless efforts in safeguarding the nation. “This medal is for the brave men and women in uniform who are working hard, day and night, to protect our country. Their courage motivates me to keep fighting on the court.” The determined shuttler now heads to Bahrain for the upcoming Bahrain Para Badminton International Tournament, where he aims to correct course and deliver the kind of performance he knows he is capable of. Training has begun in full swing as Krishna shifts his mindset to reset and rise. Krishna, however, expressed dissatisfaction with his performance and vowed to return stronger. “I know I can do better. This wasn’t my best, and I’m not happy with how …

No leave, no training—Yet Mandeep Kaur keeps winning

No leave, no training—Yet Mandeep Kaur keeps winning

Published by Webster

Mandeep Kaur recently took up the post of an an Income Tax Inspector in Chennai, but her job is proving to be a roadblock in her badminton training. “I am not getting leave from work. I have to miss training and be at the office all day,” she revealed. Mandeep Kaur, born on 18 September 1995 in Uttarakhand, is one of India’s top para-badminton players. A former world No.1 in Women’s Singles SL3, she has represented the country at the highest level, including the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where she reached the quarterfinals. She is also a two-time Asian Para Games bronze medalist, having won in both singles and doubles at the 2022 edition alongside Manisha Ramadass. Despite her achievements, she now finds herself in a battle outside the court—balancing a government job with the rigorous training needed to stay at the top of her game. Despite these challenges, Mandeep secured gold in the SL3 category of Para Badminton at the 2nd edition of the Khelo India Para Games, representing Uttarakhand. She defeated Neeraj from Haryana …

How a truck accident led army man Prem Kumar Ale to para badminton

How a truck accident led army man Prem Kumar Ale to para badminton

Published by Webster

Prem Kumar Ale joined the Indian army as a Havildar in 2005. Four years later, he met with a serious accident. Ale was reporting to his duty on a bicycle when a truck hit him from behind. He spent the next two months unconscious. Two more months down the line, the doctors revealed he had sustained a serious spinal cord injury. Ale would never walk again. More than a decade and half later, Ale is a para badminton player. He is ranked No 13 in the world in men’s singles WH1 – the wheelchair badminton category. “In 2014, I started para badminton,” said Ale. “At that time, I was at the Para Physical Rehab Centre in Pune. There were many wheelchair badminton players in the Army and seeing all of them, I also started learning. “In 2012, I took early retirement from the Army and in 2014, I participated in the Badminton Nationals held in Mumbai and won a bronze medal. This medal gave me the means to live and then I never looked back,” …

‘BAI is ignorant and apathetic’, Paralympic champion Nitesh wants PCI to take over

Published by Webster

Delhi: Paralympic gold medalist Nitesh Kumar’s criticism of the Badminton Association of India for lack of recognition and the administrative mess has created a stir on social media. The gold medalist in men’s singles SL3 category, Nitesh took to social media platform X to criticise BAI and asked for para-badminton to be transferred under the aegis of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) “It has been happening for quite some time. We didn’t want to do anything then as the Paris Paralympics was coming up. But now that the Paralympics is done, I think it is the right time to discuss it,” the shuttler told The Bridge on a phone call. “The basics are lacking and there is no appreciation from the federation. It happened during the Asian Para Games too when we won 21 medals but there was no appreciation or anything from the federation,” he added further. Apart from the lack of recognition, Nitesh cited the administrative mess, logistical challenges, and lack of attention to the issues of the para-shuttlers. “At the world …

Robinhood Archer, 8-foot-plus spiker: Meet the Paris 2024 Paralympics’ coolest cats | Sport-others News

Published by Webster

Even before 17-year-old Sheetal Devi shot herself to a mixed-team bronze medal at Paris 2024, she had become one of the faces of the Paralympic movement, with the world marvelling at her ability. Here was a teenager who was competing in a sport like para archery that demands precision. But more than merely competing, she was redefining the act of archery itself, with the bow held aloft with her right leg and the arrow being released by subtle movements of her upper body, usually involving her shoulder leaning back slightly or her jaw. Watching Sheetal Devi compete at Paris 2024 made the internet’s jaw drop. She wasn’t the only one. But away from their viral fame-attracting images, each of these athletes have a story. We look back some of the most fascinating athletes from the Paris Paralympics: Matt Stutzman, the OG armless archer Besides Sheetal, there are two other armless archers at the Paris Paralympics. Matt Stutzman was the OG armless archer, having first competed at the Paralympics in London 2012. Since then, he’s featured …

Beyond tragic backstories, competitiveness and rivalries take centre stage in para-badminton

Published by Webster

Nitesh Kumar was quick to insist he had moved on from a train accident that led to him needing a prosthetic knee down. When he became a Paralympic champion this last week, it was the crisp quality of his strokes – defense and variations – that helped him win the marathon event of para-badminton, the SL3 half court duels where rallies routinely go over 100+ shots. His court movements were visibly difficult and his opponent Daniel Bethell held a distinct advantage whenever he made Nitesh lunge. But the strokes were sublime. And the thrilling final stayed engrossing not for waves of surging sympathy watching the two battle – Nitesh limping around, and Bethell overcoming his cerebral palsy shortcomings. For at some point, the contest simply went beyond the inspiration-template that para-Games keep mining from watchers. And it became a simple, raw sporting contest of a yo-yoing badminton rally, where the two gladiators were tested on who wouldn’t blink first. It was high-quality shot making, and Bethell’s deceptive riddles had a packed house at La Chapelle …