India ended their badminton campaign at the Asian Para Games on a high on Friday, collecting three gold medals to finish with 16 podium finishes. Paris Paralympics champion Nitesh Kumar and debutant Naveen Sivakumar struck gold in their respective men’s singles events, while Thulasimathi Murugesan enjoyed a memorable outing with one gold and two silver medals.
The Indian contingent wrapped up the competition with three gold, five silver and eight bronze medals. Their overall tally was lower than their performance at the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, where India secured 21 medals, comprising four gold, four silver and 13 bronze.
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Nitesh began India’s gold rush by defeating compatriot Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in the men’s singles SL3 final. The victory gave the Paris Paralympics champion another continental title, while Bhagat, a gold medallist at the 2018 and 2022 editions, had to settle for silver this time.
“Last time I was close, I was leading 19-16 in the third set, and then I lost. So this time, winning it and again winning in two sets against Pramod is, of course, very special, and I think it’s one of the rarest of the rare things to see,” said Nitesh after his singles triumph.
Nitesh returned to the court alongside Thulasimathi for the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final. However, the Indian duo could not add another gold to their collection, going down 21-11, 19-21, 14-21 against Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani.
Naveen ensured India added another singles title by defeating Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan in the men’s singles SL4 final. The Indian won 21-9, 21-17 in 36 minutes to claim gold on his Asian Para Games debut.
“It was my first Asian Games, but I had met all my opponents in previous tournaments. So I prepared myself like, it was a normal tournament, I should not be in pressure,” Naveen said.
“My goal is to win every major tournament title. This is my first achievement … I want to achieve success in the World Championship and Olympics as well.”
The third gold medal came through Thulasimathi and Manasi Joshi in the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 event. The Indian pair overcame China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian 21-16, 21-13 to finish on top of the podium.
Thulasimathi, a silver medallist at the Paris Paralympics, also reached the women’s singles SU5 final but could not overcome Yang, losing 18-21, 11-21. Her silver in that event, combined with the runner-up finish in mixed doubles alongside Nitesh, took her medal count for the day to three.
“We were communicating more and more. And we were able to coordinate during training also. We used to think, we need to stay on the court, it will be tiring,” said Thulasimathi.
“In the matches, it will be tiring. Three events in a day, so we’ll just focus on to stay on the court and play, play, train, train, that’s it,” she added
“We had to be aggressive, not giving easy point. China is a very tough team. I think we won with them one time. And the next two times, we lost with them in World Championships and Asian Championships.”
India’s Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan added another silver to the country’s tally in the women’s singles SH6 category. She lost 12-21, 13-21 to China’s Li Fengmei in the final.
Naveen’s gold medal was another milestone in a career that has seen him make steady progress on the international circuit. He won the Uganda Para Badminton International in 2022 and finished second at the 2026 BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Bahrain. He also secured silver at the French Para Badminton International in June this year.
For Bhagat, the men’s singles SL3 final ended hopes of extending his remarkable run in the event. Having won gold at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Para Games, the Indian had to settle for silver as Nitesh claimed the title.
– Ends
