India para shuttlers win 12 medals at BWF World Championship Para-Badminton 2019

Indian para badminton players kept the country’s flag flying high with a sterling performance in the BWF World Championship. For the first time ever, world championships in the disabled and non-disabled category were held at the same time in Basel, Switzerland.

Indian sports lovers were in for a treat with the country’s badminton players from the disabled and non-disabled categories putting up a phenomenal show at the BWF World Championship Para-Badminton 2019.

For the first time ever, both the prestigious world events were held at the same time, indicating the immense popularity para badminton has acquired the world over.

Indian para shuttlers enjoyed this moment on the world stage winning 12 medals – 3 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze medals.

We are at a thrilling stage to be playing with able-bodied badminton players at the same venue, under the same organisers and delivering such high performances. It feels great. What is also wonderful is that the world’s attention is on India as a country that is consistently performing well for a long time. This moment marks a major U-turn for para badminton. – Gaurav Khanna, Head Coach, Indian Para Badminton Team

This is what the final medals tally for India looks like:

• WS SL3 Final: Manasi Joshi – Gold and Parul Parmar – Silver.
• MS SL3: Pramod Bhagat -Gold. Manoj Sarkar, Bronze.
• MS SL4: Tarun – Silver. Sukant Kadam – Bronze.
• MS SS6: Krishna Nagar wins Bronze.
• MD SL3-SL4: Pramod Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar – Gold. Nitesh Kumar and Tarun – Silver. Vikram Umesh- Bronze.
• MD SU5: Rajkumar and Rakesh Pandey – Bronze.
• MD SS6: Raja Malhotra and Krishna Nagar – Silver.

Winning at such a top level championship event just ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics is a major boost for the Indian players. Arjuna Award winner Pramod and Manoj played with true grit emerging from a weak position to beat Nitish and Tarun by 14-21, 21-15, 21-16.

Congratulatory messages have come pouring in from all quarters for the players. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Ghelot was among the first to tweet. “Congratulations to Pramod Bhagat and MAnoj Sarkar for winning a gold in men’s doubles event at BWF Para Badminton World Championships. Superb achievement. Very proud of the duo”.

Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State, Youth Affairs and Sports said, “I’m waiting to meet you all when you return home with rich haul of medals for India”.

The Indian para badminton players have been on a roll winning over 250 medals at national and international levels since 2014. “Such consistent wins are giving us a major boost and has put everyone in a a positive frame of mind”, says Coach Khanna, who is with the team at Basel, Switzerland. ”People now say that when India is there they should not think of finding a position in our reserve places, so this is a major confidence boost”.