Para-badminton star Nitesh Kumar attributes his success at the 2026 Asian Para Games to his father, who provided unwavering support since his 2009 accident, helping him transition from engineering to becoming a world-class professional athlete.
Nitesh Kumar Credits Father for Success
Bhiwani (Haryana) [India], October 31 (ANI): Indian para-badminton player Nitesh Kumar credited his father, Vijender Singh, for being his strongest source of support throughout his journey after returning from the 2026 Asian Para Games with a gold and a silver medal. Nitesh won the men’s singles SL3 gold, defeating compatriot Pramod Bhagat in the final, and also claimed silver in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 event alongside Thulasimathi Murugesan.
Reflecting on his tough journey, which began after he lost his left leg in a train accident in 2009, Nitesh said his father stood by him during his most difficult moments and continued to motivate him as he took up para-badminton. “Of course, my father [Vijender Singh] was my biggest support, not just in my sporting journey, but my journey overall as well, like right from my accident in 2009 to till today, like winning these two medals at Asian Games, my father has been my strongest pillar. Like even when I was too low during my accident, he didn’t let me give up and he made me stronger every day by motivating me and gave me a different perspective to things,” Nitesh told ANI.
Early Life and Career Path
His father’s encouragement was particularly important when Nitesh decided to pursue badminton. While his mother initially wanted him to focus on academics, his father backed his interest in sport. “When I started playing, he was very supportive of me to play, otherwise my mom was kind of like, he’s doing better with studies, why do we have to put him into sports and then maybe damage what we have good. But he stood with me and then kept motivating me always to give my best,” he said.
Nitesh, who studied electrical engineering at IIT Mandi, first took up badminton as a recreational activity during his time at the institute. He had initially been focused on academics, influenced by the expectation of securing a stable government job, but gradually discovered para-badminton and decided to pursue it professionally after graduating.
Reflections on Competition and Future Goals
The 31-year-old, who is currently the world No. 1 in men’s singles SL3, said beating the compatriot and veteran Bhagat in the Asian Para Games final was particularly satisfying given his opponent’s standing in the sport. “Winning a final against Pramod bhai is an achievement and then winning it in two sets it gives more value to it personally because he’s one of the strongest in the event. If we look at the mental aspect I think he’s the best in the business so I think winning a two sets final with him that too at Asian Games I think very proud of myself and very happy the way I held my nerves and went on to pull that final off in two sets and won gold,” he said.
Having won two silver medals and a bronze at the World Championships, Nitesh said a gold at the global event remains an important target. “There’s no ultimate goal but it’s just that I have one thing that is still missing out on my list of medals is that I don’t have a gold at world championship. I have two silvers but I don’t have a gold. So yeah, that is what has been on my list for a longer time now that I have to get a gold at the world championship,” he said.
India’s Performance and Growth in Para-Sports
India concluded its historic campaign at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, by finishing fourth in the overall standings with a record-breaking haul of 114 medals. This achievement marks India’s best-ever performance in the history of the Games, surpassing the official tally of 108 medals from the previous edition. Notably, the Indian contingent achieved this feat with a much smaller squad of just 168 athletes competing over fewer days.
Talking about India’s growing medal haul with every edition of Asian Para Games, Nitesh said, “I think growing never has a limits like when we came back from Rio to Tokyo, we won more medals. Now from Tokyo to Paris, we won more medals. Even Asian Games, if we see the medals, number of medals we had in 2018 Asian Games, I think it was 72 and then we had 111 [108] in China, Hangzhou and now we have 114. I think the growth never has limits, but I think we as athletes, we are doing our best and that is coming out because of the support what we are getting from the public and of course from the ministry and the organizations around that they are trying to support us and strengthen us rather than just looking up to us with sympathy and that is what is giving more confidence to us and go out stronger.”
He said the focus should also be on increasing awareness and expanding India’s participation across more para-sport disciplines, which could further improve the country’s medal tally at major events. When asked how to further exceed the medal count, Nitesh said, “I think we still have a lot of para sports where we don’t compete in. So I think that way we need to put out more awareness and we need to grow that particular way that we should compete at all the tournaments, all the events available at the games. I think that way we can do even better with the final medal tally.”
Upcoming Meeting with the Prime Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with athletes and medal winners after every big sporting event and when asked how excited he is for the upcoming interaction with PM Modi, Nitesh said, “Our meeting with honorable Prime Minister has always been exciting. I met him the first time after my medal at 2018 Asian Games and then met him again at 2023 after 2023 Asian Games then after Paris Paralympics. So it has always been inspiring and motivating to meet him and because the way he welcomes us at his residence is always overwhelming and he always inspires us to go out and give our best and so yeah, looking very forward to meet him next week at his residence again and then having few friendly chats with him.” (ANI)
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