Kumar Nitesh

Last updated

Nitesh Kumar
Nitesh Kumar in January 2025.jpg
Kumar in January 2025
Personal information
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
Born (1994-12-30) 30 December 1994 (age 30)
Bas Kirtan, Rajasthan, India
Residence Karnal, Haryana, India
Years active2016–present
HandednessRight
Men's singles SL3
Men's doubles SL3–SL4
Highest rankingMen's singles
3 (2022)
Men's doubles
2; with Tarun Dhillon (2022)
Current rankingMen's singles: 1
Men's doubles: 5
Medal record
Men's para-badminton
Representing Flag of India.svg  India
Paralympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2024 Paris Men's singles
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2019 Basel Men's doubles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Tokyo Men's singles
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2024 Pattaya Men's singles
Asian Para Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou Men's doubles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou Men's singles
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2018 Jakarta Men's doubles
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou Mixed doubles
BWF profile

Nitesh Kumar (born 30 December 1994) is an Indian para-badminton player. [1] He won a gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the men's singles SL3 category. [2] He is a two-time silver and one-time bronze medalist at the World Championships. Kumar has won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Para Games over the years. [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Kumar was born on 30 December 1994 in Bas Kirtan, Rajasthan. In 2009, he lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. After bed ridden for many months, he prepared for IIT entrance exam for over a year and joined Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi in 2014. He started playing badminton at IIT and in 2016 represented the Haryana team at the Para National Championships. [4] He resides at Karnal, Haryana and is supported by sports NGO, Olympic Gold Quest. [5]

Career

He made his international debut in 2016. In 2017, he won his first title at the Irish Para-Badminton International. Later, he took part and won matches at BWF Para Badminton World Circuit and won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games at Hangzhou, China. [4] [5]

He became the world number 3 in the SL3 category on 14 June 2022. [6]

Coaching career

In 2019, he started working as Senior Badminton Coach at the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Haryana. [7] [4]

Achievements

Paralympic Games

Men's singles SL3

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2024 Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Paris, France Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Daniel Bethell 21–14, 18–21, 23–21 Gold medal Paralympics.svg Gold

World Championships

Men's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2022 Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat 19–21, 19–21 Med 2.png Silver
2024 Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, Pattaya, Thailand Flag of England.svg Daniel Bethell 18–21, 22–20, 14–21 Med 3.png Bronze

Men's doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2019 St. Jakobshalle,
Basel, Switzerland
Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Manoj Sarkar
21–14, 15–21, 16–21 Med 2.png Silver

Asian Para Games

Men's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2022 Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat 20–22, 21–18, 19–21 Med 2.png Silver

Men's doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2018 Istora Gelora Bung Karno,
Jakarta, Indonesia
Flag of India.svg Anand Kumar Boregowda Flag of South Korea.svg Jeon Sun-woo
Flag of South Korea.svg Joo Dong-jae
16–21, 11–21 Med 3.png Bronze
2022 Binjiang Gymnasium,
Hangzhou, China
Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam Flag of Indonesia.svg Dwiyoko
Flag of Indonesia.svg Fredy Setiawan
9–21, 21–19, 22–20 Med 1.png Gold

Mixed doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2022 Binjiang Gymnasium,
Hangzhou, China
Flag of India.svg Thulasimathi Murugesan Flag of Indonesia.svg Fredy Setiawan
Flag of Indonesia.svg Khalimatus Sadiyah
17–21, 12–21 Med 3.png Bronze

BWF Para Badminton World Circuit (12 titles, 11 runners-up)

The BWF Para Badminton World Circuit – Grade 2, Level 1, 2 and 3 tournaments has been sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation from 2022. [8] [9]

Men's singles

YearTournamentLevelOpponentScoreResult
2022Spanish Para Badminton International IILevel 2 Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat21–17, 17–21, 17–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2022Brazil Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of Japan.svg Daisuke Fujihara 21–15, 18–21, 21–18Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2022Dubai Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat21–19, 17–21, 17–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2023Brazil Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat21–12, 21–13Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2023Bahrain Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat16–21, 17–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2023Western Australia Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Manoj Sarkar 21–14, 21–14Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2024Spanish Para Badminton International IILevel 2 Flag of India.svg Manoj Sarkar21–17, 21–14Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2024Spanish Para Badminton International ILevel 1 Flag of Ukraine.svg Oleksandr Chyrkov 21–11, 21–13Gold medal icon.svgWinner
20244 Nations Para Badminton InternationalLevel 1 Flag of England.svg Daniel Bethell 11–21, 7–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up

Men's doubles

YearTournamentLevelPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2022Spanish Para Badminton International IILevel 2 Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Manoj Sarkar
19–21, 21–11, 11–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2022Brazil Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Mohammad Arwaz Ansari
Flag of India.svg Deep Ranjan Bisoyee
21–13, 17–21, 18–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2022Bahrain Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of Thailand.svg Mongkhon Bunsun
Flag of Thailand.svg Siripong Teamarrom
21–13, 21–7Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2023Spanish Para Badminton International IILevel 2 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam
20–22, 21–12, 9–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2023Thailand Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam
21–18, 14–21, 19–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2023Bahrain Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam
24–22, 9–21, 14–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2023Canada Para Badminton InternationalLevel 1 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Nilesh Gaikwad
Flag of India.svg Nehal Gupta
21–12, 21–8Gold medal icon.svgWinner
Flag of France.svg Guillaume Gailly
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg William Roussy
21–13, 21–12
Flag of India.svg Deep Ranjan Bisoyee
Flag of India.svg Manoj Sarkar
21–9, 17–21, 21–16
Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam
11–21, 21–16, 21–16
2022Bahrain Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of Thailand.svg Mongkhon Bunsun
Flag of Thailand.svg Siripong Teamarrom
21–13, 21–7Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2023Spanish Para Badminton International IILevel 2 Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam
20–22, 21–12, 9–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up

Mixed doubles

YearTournamentLevelPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2023Brazil Para-Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Thulasimathi Murugesan Flag of Indonesia.svg Hikmat Ramdani
Flag of Indonesia.svg Leani Ratri Oktila
18–21, 9–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2023Uganda Para Badminton InternationalLevel 3 Flag of India.svg Thulasimathi Murugesan Flag of India.svg Naveen Sivakumar
Flag of India.svg Palak Kohli
21–12, 21–11Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2023Western Australia Para Badminton InternationalLevel 2 Flag of India.svg Thulasimathi Murugesan Flag of Indonesia.svg Fredy Setiawan
Flag of Indonesia.svg Khalimatus Sadiyah
15–21, 22–20, 21–19Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2024Spanish Para Badminton International IILevel 2 Flag of India.svg Thulasimathi Murugesan Flag of India.svg Chirag Baretha
Flag of India.svg Mandeep Kaur
21–11, 21–16Gold medal icon.svgWinner
2024Spanish Para Badminton International ILevel 1 Flag of India.svg Thulasimathi Murugesan Flag of France.svg Lucas Mazur
Flag of France.svg Faustine Noël
22–20, 21–15Gold medal icon.svgWinner

International Tournaments (7 runners-up)

Men's singles

YearTournamentOpponentScoreResult
2018Uganda Para Badminton International Flag of India.svg Umesh Vikram Kumar21–17, 15–21, 15–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2020Peru Para Badminton International Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat 18–21, 21–15, 14–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2021Dubai Para Badminton International Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat17–21, 18–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up

Men's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2018Dubai Para Badminton International Flag of Indonesia.svg Fredy Setiawan Flag of Indonesia.svg Ukun Rukaendi
Flag of Indonesia.svg Hary Susanto
17–21, 15–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2019Turkish Para Badminton International Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of Indonesia.svg Dwiyoko
Flag of Indonesia.svg Fredy Setiawan
14–21, 15–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2019Irish Para Badminton International Flag of India.svg Tarun Dhillon Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Manoj Sarkar
21–13, 18–21, 21–23Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up
2021Dubai Para Badminton International Flag of India.svg Sukant Kadam Flag of India.svg Pramod Bhagat
Flag of India.svg Manoj Sarkar
18–21, 16–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up

References

  1. "Player Profile".
  2. Sportstar, Team (2 September 2024). "Paralympics 2024: Nitesh Kumar wins gold in para-badminton men's singles SL3". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  3. "Asian Para Games: Shuttler duo of Nitesh-Tarun claim yet another gold for India". ANI News. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Who Is Nitesh Kumar: IIT Graduate Who Won Paris Paralympics 2024 Gold For India | Olympics News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  5. 1 2 "IIT graduate, gold in Paralympics: Nitesh Kumar living India's dream in Paris". India Today. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  6. "BWF Para-Badminton – BWF Para Badminton World Rankings". bwfpara.tournamentsoftware.com. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  7. "Nitesh Kumar: The para shuttler from IIT chasing big dreams". 25 April 2019.
  8. "Para Badminton Tournament Structure Bids for Tournaments 2022 Onwards". Badminton World Federation . 29 May 2022.
  9. "BWF Para Tournamentsoftware". Badminton World Federation . 11 July 2022.