Nitesh Kumar Targets Elusive World Championship Gold After Nagoya

Nitesh Kumar says a World Championship gold remains the one major medal missing from his collection after ending the Asian Para Games in Nagoya with gold in men’s singles SL3 and silver in mixed doubles SL3-SU5.

The 31-year-old para-badminton player defeated Pramod Bhagat in an all-Indian men’s singles SL3 final, reversing the outcome from their Hangzhou final three years earlier. Kumar, the Paris Paralympic gold medalist, already has two World Championship silver medals and two bronzes, but is still pursuing a first title at that level.

“I still keep telling myself that there is one thing missing from my medal collection: World Championship gold. I don’t have a World Championship title yet, and I’m still looking forward to winning one. Maybe in 2028 or at the next opportunity,” Kumar said.

Hangzhou defeat remained a driving force

The Nagoya final carried added significance because it reunited Kumar and Bhagat after their previous Asian Para Games title match in Hangzhou. Bhagat had won gold on that occasion, with Kumar recalling how close he had come to victory.

“It’s very special. At the last Asian Games, we played the final, and I was leading 18-13 in the third set, then 19-16, before losing 19-21,” Kumar said.

He said the loss remained with him for a long period and helped shape his preparation for later high-pressure situations, including at the Paris Paralympics. Returning to another final against Bhagat in Nagoya therefore offered Kumar an opportunity to respond to that disappointment on a major stage.

Bhagat entered the match as the Tokyo Paralympics gold medalist and a six-time world singles champion. Kumar said he was proud of how he handled the pressure of the contest and of finding a way through against an opponent he has faced regularly in international events and finals.

“We’ve been playing each other for a very long time at international tournaments and have played enough finals against each other. I knew I would have to dig deeper to win. If I got impatient or lost my calm, he would take advantage and put me under pressure,” Kumar said.

Kumar described long rallies in which both players had to work hard for points. His focus, he said, was to remain patient rather than rush for winners or become too eager to close out the match.

Gold and silver complete Nagoya medal haul

Kumar’s singles success came after differing semifinal routes for the two finalists. He beat Indonesia’s Muh Al Imran 21-19, 21-16 in 52 minutes, while Bhagat came through a three-game match against Korea’s Lee Seunghu, winning 16-21, 21-18, 21-17 in two hours and nine minutes.

However, Kumar did not believe Bhagat’s lengthy semifinal had been decisive in the final. Instead, he pointed to his ability to limit Bhagat’s attempts to take charge with heavy smashes and dictate rallies. Kumar said Bhagat showed no obvious shortage of stamina or movement during the match.

Alongside his men’s singles SL3 gold, Kumar also won mixed doubles SL3-SU5 silver with Thulasimathi Murugesan. The SL3 classification is for athletes with impairment in one or both lower limbs and poor walking or running balance.

India’s para-badminton team concluded the Asian Para Games with 16 medals: three gold, five silver and eight bronze. That total was five fewer than the 21 medals won at the 2023 edition, which included four gold, four silver and 13 bronze.

Kumar nevertheless remained confident about India’s strength in the SL3 and SL4 categories, citing continued success in those events. For him personally, Nagoya added another milestone, but it also sharpened the focus on the remaining target: a World Championship gold medal.