Famous para-badminton player Pramod Bhagat earned a gold medal in the men’s single SL3 category at the current Para Asian Games here on Friday, showcasing an incredible display of ability and perseverance.
With this win, Pramod has now won three gold medals in as many competitions: the Paralympic Games, the World Championships, and now this one.
Pramod, who was competing in three events at the Para Asian Games on behalf of his country for the fourth time, won one gold and two medals.
In the face of strong opposition and fellow countryman Nitesh Kumar, Bhagat proved to be very skilled and resilient. With both shuttlers in a neck-and-neck struggle, the match developed in an exciting way.
Pramod defeated Nitesh by a small margin in the first game, 22–20. With a furious comeback, Nitesh won the second game 21-19. All of it came down to who would win the gold medal in the end—the last person standing.
In the third game, Nitesh got off to a strong start and led by nearly 4 points. This lead was maintained into the final set, as Nitesh appeared to be winning the match, leading 18–14. However, the comeback king had other ideas. Mirroring his incredible comeback at the Paralympic finals, Pramod pulled off two straight points, putting him ahead of Nitesh and winning the match 21–19 to keep his gold medal.
The ultimate results were 22–20, 18–21, and 21–19.
“First of all, a huge congratulations to Nitesh Kumar, I think he played the game of his life, but unfortunately ended up with a silver,” Pramod stated in reference to his victory. He is an excellent player who always challenges me, as he did tonight.
“For some reason, even when I was down, I never gave losing a consideration; I always believed that I could catch up and win. I made it happen by concentrating on one thing at a time, and I’m rather pleased with how I performed. Despite my desire to build upon my two bronze medals from the doubles events. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to everyone for their support,” he said.
