Pramod Bhagat Wins Gold As Sukant Kadam Reaches 100 Medals
Tokyo Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat won gold in men鈥檚 singles SL3 and silver in men鈥檚 doubles, while Sukant Kadam completed a career haul of 100 medals at the Japan Para Badminton International here on Sunday.
Six-time world champion Pramod produced a dominant display to defeat fellow Indian U Kumar 21-16, 21-8 in 30 minutes in the men鈥檚 singles SL3 final.
Pramod Bhagat Claims Japan Para Badminton Gold
Pramod followed his singles triumph by partnering Sukant Kadam in the men鈥檚 doubles SL3-SU5 final.
The Indian pair, however, went down 5-21, 15-21 to Indonesia鈥檚 Hikmat Ramdani and Fredy Setiawan to settle for silver.
“I am very happy to finish the tournament with a gold and a silver. The singles final was challenging, especially after U Kumar got the early lead, but I stayed patient and focused on my game,” Pramod said in a release.
“Once I found my rhythm, I was able to take control. The doubles result was not what we wanted, but I am proud of the fight we showed. Every international tournament is an opportunity to learn and improve, and I will take the positives from Japan,” he added.
Sukant Kadam Completes 100-Medal Career
The Japan Para Badminton International was particularly significant for Sukant Kadam, who reached the landmark of 100 career medals after 12 years in competitive badminton.
Kadam’s milestone came alongside a silver medal in men’s doubles and another silver-medal finish in men’s singles SL4.
In the singles SL4 final, Kadam was beaten 8-21, 16-21 by France鈥檚 Lucas Mazur.
“Reaching 100 career medals is a very special moment for me. When I started playing para badminton 12 years ago, I never imagined that I would reach this milestone,” Kadam said.
“There have been many ups and downs, victories and defeats, but every match has taught me something. I am grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey,” he added.
The Indian para badminton star, however, has no intention of treating the landmark as the end of his journey.
“At the same time, I don’t want to look at 100 as the finish line. It motivates me to keep working harder and aim for many more achievements for India,” he said.
India Add More Para Badminton Medals
India also collected several other medals across categories at the Japan Para Badminton International.
Chirag Baretha and Singapore鈥檚 Wei Ming Tay won gold in men鈥檚 doubles SU5.
Shashank Kumar claimed two bronze medals, finishing third in men鈥檚 singles WH1 before partnering Ammu Mohan to another bronze in mixed doubles WH1-WH2.
Deep Ranjan Bisoyee and Kuldeep Mahkul also secured bronze in men鈥檚 doubles SL3-SU5, while Takar Biri and Harshit Choudhary finished third in the same category.
Abhijeet Sakhuja added another bronze in men鈥檚 singles SL4.
Pramod, Kadam Lead India’s Para Badminton Charge
Pramod Bhagat鈥檚 gold and Sukant Kadam鈥檚 100-medal milestone highlighted a strong showing by India at the Japan Para Badminton International.
While Pramod continued to add to his decorated career with another international singles title, Kadam reached a landmark that he described as a motivation to pursue further success for India.
