India’s Nitesh Kumar produced a clinical performance to defeat compatriot Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in a clash between two Paralympic gold medallists, securing the men’s singles SL3 badminton gold medal at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Friday.
Victory in SL3 Classification Follows Paralympic Gold
- Nitesh Kumar’s straight-sets victory in the SL3 classification follows his Paris Paralympic gold.
Men’s Singles Showdowns Deliver Gold and Silver for India
In the men’s singles SL3 final, Paris Paralympic gold medallist Nitesh overcame Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16. Reflecting on the tight contest, Nitesh noted, “Very happy to win the Asian Games gold medal. 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.” Bhagat, who won gold in the 2018 and 2022 editions, admitted to that his performance fell short: “It doesn’t feel that good because I had won two consecutive gold medals at the Asian Games, and I was trying to win a third gold here. I had everything, but today some of my strokes went wrong and my judgment was slightly off, which is why I am contenting myself with just a silver.”
Making his debut at the Games, Naveen Sivakumar added a second gold for the delegation by sweeping past Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17 in just 36 minutes to claim the men’s singles SL4 title. Naveen built on prior momentum that included gold at the Uganda Para Badminton International in 2022, silver at the 2026 BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Bahrain, and silver at the French Para Badminton International in June 2026. “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 stated.
Asian Para Games 2026: Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan Assured Of Para Badminton Medal After Reaching Mixed Doubles Semifinals#AsianParaGames2026 #AsianParaGames #NiteshKumar #ThulasimathiMurugesan #ParaBadminton #IndianBadminton #TeamIndia #ParaSports #RuthickRagupathi…
| Athlete | Event / Classification | Result | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitesh Kumar | Men’s Singles SL3 | Gold (21-18, 21-16) | Pramod Bhagat |
| Naveen Sivakumar | Men’s Singles SL4 | Gold (21-9, 21-17) | Fredy Setiawan |
| Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan | Women’s Singles SH6 | Silver (12-21, 13-21) | Li Fengmei |
| Thulasimathi Murugesan | Women’s Singles SU5 | Silver (18-21, 11-21) | Yang Qiuxia |
Podium Finishes Across SH6 and SU5 Classifications
India added multiple silver medals to its tally at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium. Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan finished on the second step of the podium after a 12-21, 13-21 defeat against China’s Li Fengmei. Earlier, 24-year-old Paris Paralympics silver medallist Thulasimathi Murugesan dropped her women’s singles SU5 final 18-21, 11-21 to China’s Yang Qiuxia.
Despite her singles setback, Murugesan remains in contention for two additional gold medals. She is scheduled to partner Nitesh in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final against Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani, and will also team up with Manasi Girishchandra Joshi to face China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian in the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 final.
🏸 MEDAL CONFIRMED FOR NITESH KUMAR! 🇮🇳🥉Nitesh storms into the Men’s Singles SL3 semifinals with a dominant 21-8, 21-8 win at the Asian Para Games 2026! 🔥#AsianParaGames2026 #NiteshKumar #ParaBadminton #TeamIndia #IndiaSportsHub pic.twitter.com/Vde3Wiqj5w
