Haryana's Nitesh Kumar Clinches Double Gold In Para-Badminton National Championship

Haryana's Nitesh Kumar doubled his gold tally in the recently concluded 4th Para-Badminton National Championship. The event took place in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Monday, December 27.

Double Win

According to NDTV, Kumar along with his partner Tarun defeated World No 1 Paralympic Games gold medallist Pramod Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar in straight sets 21-19, 21-11 in the Men's doubles finals to clinch the gold medal.

Kumar had earlier bagged gold at the Men's SL3 category before setting the winning combination with Tarun.

Victory Boosted Confidence

The para-athlete said that the victories against the Tokyo Paralympic medallist had boosted his confidence for the Asian Games and World Championship which is scheduled next year.

He shared that mental toughness becomes crucial when one is playing against experienced players. The wins have, however, instilled confidence in his skills.

Played With Positive Mindset

The shuttler said he kept believing in his game and played with a positive mindset.

"It was a difficult game, and beating them was a tough task since they are the champions. I have been losing very close matches to Pramod till now, but this time I made it. We have been playing against each other for a long time, so we know each other's game and weak points," he said, reported NDTV.

2018 Asian Para Games

In 2018, Nitesh Kumar bagged a bronze medal at Asian Para Games 2018 in men's doubles. He had also put a stellar show in Uganda Para-Badminton International 2021.

"I have been playing in international tournaments since 2016, so the experience of playing in every tournament counts. In April, I played in Dubai, where I got a lot of exposure. Also, the Uganda Para-Badminton tournament did help me prepare for National Championships," he said.

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