India capped off the Tokyo Paralympics with two medals in badminton in the final day of the Games.
Krishna Nagar would hear endless taunts about his short stature in school. The kid though never shied away from playing different sports, from athletics to cricket to volleyball, until he settled on badminton a few years ago.
On Sunday, Nagar silenced all those who had doubted him, finishing on top of the podium at the Tokyo Paralympics. The 22-year-old won gold in the badminton men’s singles SH6 category (for players with a short stature due to a genetic condition) beating Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai, the Asian Para Games champion, 21-17, 16-21, 21-17 in the final.
It was a second gold by an Indian shuttler in Tokyo. It was also India’s second medal on the final day of competitions after Noida’s district magistrate, Suhas Yathiraj, bagged silver to become the first civil servant to win a medal at the Paralympics. Yathiraj lost to French world No. 1 Lucas Mazur 21-15, 17-21, 15-21 in the final of the SL4 category (player could have impairment in one or both lower limbs and minimal impairment in walking/running balance).
The Jaipur-based Nagar, whose short stature is due to growth hormone deficiency, took up badminton on the encouragement of his cousins. He started playing seriously only four years ago, winning bronze in singles at the 2018 Para Asian Games and silver at the 2019 world championships in doubles.
Nagar is 4’ 5”, but his jump smashes stand out. “From a very young age, I have played a lot of sports, be it athletics, volleyball, cricket or football. It’s because of that that my jumps are so high and smooth,” Nagar said in an interaction organised by the Paralympic Committee of India and Eurosport after his win.
After winning the first game in the final, Nagar lapsed into errors to concede the next game. In the decider, Nagar led 11-7 at the break, but Kai drew parity at 14-all. Thereafter, Nagar didn’t allow any breathing space, producing eye-catching cross-court smashes for victory.
(With inputs from agencies)