Indian para-shuttler Nitesh Kumar defeated Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the men's singles SL3 event to clinch the gold medal at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024. Nitesh, who is making his Paralympics debut, defeated the Tokyo Games silver medallist Bethell in three games to win the yellow metal at La Chapelle Arena Court 1.
The top-seeded Nitesh was tested hard by the second-seeded Bethell as both players gave it their all in an 80-minute marathon gold medal match. The Indian eventually won on his second gold medal point to take the match 21-14, 18-21 and 23-21.
Nitesh won the first game 21-14 in 33 minutes after trailing in the first half of it. He then went down in the second one as Bethell staged a comeback to force the decider. Nitesh had a gold medal point in the deciding game at 20-19 but then had to save a gold medal point at 21-20. But Nitesh found enough in himself to take the next three points and win the gold.
The SL3 category deals with severe lower limb disabilities, forcing the players to play on half-court. Pramod Bhagat won the gold in the same category at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2021. However, the Tokyo champion has been handed an 18-month suspension due to whereabouts failures.
This was India's second gold medal at the Paris Paralympics after Avani Lekhara won the top prize in shooting. Overall, this is India's ninth medal at the ongoing Games, with Yogesh Kathuniya clinching a silver earlier in the day in the Men's Discus Throw - F56 category.
Avani Lekhara and Mona Agarwal were the first ones to bag medals at the ongoing Summer Games. Avani won gold while Mona took bronze in the R2 - Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1. Manish Narwal took home a silver in the P1 - Men's 10m Air Pistol SH1 category, while Rubina Francis was the latest shooter to bag a medal. She clinched a bronze in the P2 - Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1 event. Preethi Pal became India's first track medallist at the Paralympics as she won a bronze in the Women's 100m - T35 category.
