New Delhi, October 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s Paralympic champion and multiple-time gold medallist Nitesh Kumar continues to set his sights on new milestones, driven by his love for badminton and the desire to win more gold medals for the country.
Nitesh recently clinched gold in the men’s singles SL3 event at the Asian Para Games and secured silver in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 competition alongside Thulasimathi Murugesan.
He is also the reigning Paralympic champion in men’s singles, having won gold at the Paris Paralympics after defeating Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell. In addition, he has four World Championships medals to his name—two silver and two bronze.
Despite achieving success at the biggest international events, Nitesh remains motivated to keep improving. He said his enjoyment of the sport and the prospect of contributing more gold medals to India’s tally continue to drive him.
“I think it’s, of course, the love for the sport, you know, that I enjoy doing what I’m doing. And of course, I know when I’m enjoying it and when I’m doing my best. Of course, I want to go to every tournament and give my best. It’s not medal-oriented. It’s always about growth. So, you know, I tend to have my best out there.
“And then, of course, if I’m going to be at my best, of course, I have the capability of winning gold. And yeah, it makes me very happy if I turn out the results with a gold and then contribute a gold medal to the medal tally (for India). So yeah, that’s what keeps motivating me at every tournament,” Nitesh Kumar told IANS.
He said that while he believes in his abilities, converting his potential into results depends on performing at his best. Even when he falls short of winning, he views the experience as an opportunity to learn and improve.
“You know, I have those capabilities in me. I just have to channelise all that energy and, you know, be at my best. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t happen.
“But yeah, when it doesn’t happen, we take some extra learnings from it. And of course, we learn a few things from winning as well. But yeah, when we don’t win, we take a few learnings from it, you know, what we have to correct for the next one. And then again, going out with the best version next time and then winning more and more medals for the country. That’s what has always been motivating me,” he added.
Having won gold at the Paris Paralympics and two gold medals at the Asian Para Games, including titles in men’s doubles and singles, Nitesh has one major ambition left: winning gold at the World Championships.
He acknowledged that the missing title continues to bother him, even as he takes pride in his overall development as a player.
“Yeah, definitely. I have two silvers at the World Championships. I have two bronzes. I don’t have a gold there. So yeah, it’s the one thing that keeps pinching me somewhere back, you know, deep down.
“But yeah, I think, if I don’t look at the result perspective, I think my growth over the years has been wonderful. So my aim is mainly to, you know, continue this momentum when we head to the Paralympic Games. But of course, when it comes to the world championship, that is what my target is, you know, to have my one medal, which is missing in my cabinet,” he added.
Nitesh recently defeated Pramod Bhagat in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games final, avenging his defeat to the same opponent in the Hangzhou Para Games final three years earlier.
Reflecting on his preparation for the rematch, Nitesh said he drew an important lesson from the previous edition: a match is never over until the final point has been played.
“Nothing particular as such because we have been playing each other multiple times all year long in the circuit,” Nitesh said of his preparations for the final against Pramod.
“But I think, yeah, definitely got a learning from the previous edition that, you know, it’s not finished until it’s finished. And he’s always going to come back stronger until it’s finished.
“So I think the first game was to, you know, build pressure on him. And then the second game was to, you know, stay around so that I could put pressure on him. And then when it got close to the finish line, I just kept telling myself that, you know, it’s not done. And I don’t have to make the same mistake that I did in Hangzhou. And then just went on to, you know, go out for every point with the same hunger,” he added.
Beyond the World Championships, Nitesh is also focused on the Los Angeles Paralympics, where he hopes to defend his singles gold medal. He said the presence of two strong Indian contenders, himself and Pramod, could help ease the pressure of ensuring that the title remains with India.
Recalling his approach before the Paris Paralympics, Nitesh said his primary objective had been to ensure that India retained the title won by Pramod Bhagat at the Tokyo Games, rather than focusing on defeating a particular opponent.
“Like when I was heading to the Paris Paralympics, I had a target with me that, you know, I have to, you know, go out and defend the title which Pramod bhaiya won at Tokyo. So that was my particular aim. It was not about, you know, I have to win gold, or I have to beat Bethell (Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell) or something. And for me, it was just like, you know, one thing that, you know, India should stay with; the gold medal should stay with India. So I think coming up, the LA games coming up, me and Pramod bhaiya both available there.
“I think I’ll be free, a little free from that thought. Because I think when we have two strong contenders, it’s not just, you know, it comes on to both of us and then we can, you know, try to, you know, think of having our best out there and try to have, and if we can make it an all-India final, I think, then the final will kind of not be so pressurised, pressurable for us. So I think it’s just about, you know, going out and repeating the same result for India at the games.
“But yeah, before that, it’s just that we have a goal to qualify for the games in our own way. And then I think, once we are qualified, then we can, you know, think of the results we want to have at the LA games, of course. But the main target will be to, you know, get to have the medal with India again for the next four years,” he said.
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