"Battled illness before climbing to top 5, can do much better in future" - Palak Kohli looks beyond epic Paralympic journey [Exclusive]

Defying considerable odds, Indian para-shuttler Palak Kohli battled to qualify for the Paralympics for a second time before finishing fifth in the SL4 women's singles event in Paris.

While a fifth-place finish may not appear to be a phenomenal achievement, Palak's success in countering a potentially career-threatening bone tumor in 2022 has been just as remarkable as her badminton journey.

An ebullient Palak Kohli described to Sportskeeda during the course of an exclusive interaction, her "rollercoaster" journey of painstakingly climbing the rankings from nought which enabled her to take the flight to Paris.

"It's been a tough journey in a very short span of time that I got myself to make it to Paris. Finishing fifth was a little disappointing, but I would like to take it positively. It makes me stronger and braver today. I battled an illness before climbing back in the top 5 so I can definitely do much better in future," said Palak Kohli, striking a positive note while summing up her epic comeback.

The 22-year-old asserted, as did coach Gaurav Khanna, that rising to the top 5 in the world rankings from scratch after a year of non-participation and winning a World Championship bronze medal was a herculean task.

"In the qualification events for the Paralympics, there is a lot of competition and all the top players from China, Indonesia, and Japan, are playing. You have to be there in the main event and on the podium after competing with everybody," Palak explained.

"There were a couple of tournaments in the qualification period that I missed because of my health and recovery. But, whatever tournaments we decided to play, I was able to perform and give my best. So it was a rollercoaster journey of rising through the rankings one by one all the way to Paris," she stated.

A word of thanks to the Almighty as also for Gaurav Khanna's academy and the physios who helped her recover was Palak's Kohli's way of expressing her profound gratitude to all those who made her comeback possible.

"Only the top 5 in the world can make it to the Paralympics. So I had to rebuild my world ranking from zero and my Paris Paralympic rank from no points to make the cut. It was very hard, but with God's blessing and the support of the academy and physios I was able to make it back in a short period of time," said Palak, who was born with an underdeveloped left arm.

"I am supported by the Welspun Group who have been a great pillar of support throughout my journey from the pandemic, through the surgery, and up there on the podiums we well," she added.

Palak, whose left leg shrunk following emergency surgery for a left ankle bone tumor, made an incredible return to para-badminton a year after the operation before going on to win bronze at the World Championships.

"In the World Championships earlier this year, I won a bronze after defeating World No 2 (Haruka Fujino) in the quarterfinals. That was also the main event for qualification event for Paris," said Palak with a distinct sense of pride.

Coach Gaurav Khanna told Sportskeeda that his protege's achievements were nothing short of "miraculous" given her circumstances while also calling her a "true warrior."

"Palak finished 5th in Paris, and while expectations are always higher, her performance is nothing short of remarkable given her circumstances. Her qualification for Paris and a World Championship bronze medal are, in themselves, miraculous achievements. She is a true warrior," the Padma Shri recipient pointed out.

"After undergoing long and challenging treatment for her tumor, followed by more than a year of non-participation, Palak started near the bottom of the world rankings. At that point, we never imagined she would make it to the Paralympic squad. Against all odds, and even contrary to doctors’ advice to avoid professional badminton, she staged a powerful comeback, climbing to World No. 4," Khanna disclosed.

Palak, whose category underwent a change from SU5 (for players with impairments in the upper limbs) to SL4 (players with impairments in one or both lower limbs) following her surgery, adapted admirably to the transition.

Palak Kohli looks back at Paris 2024 with "an eye on LA 2028"

Gaurav Khanna has been Palak Kohli's longtime coach and mentor - Source: Palak Kohli on X

At the Olympic Games and the Paralympics that followed, the vociferous support that French players received on home turf, did disturb the composure of more than a few athletes.

Palak Kohli, however, refused to be daunted by local spectators who gave her first-round opponent Milenna Surreau of France a rousing welcome and kept up the noise levels whenever the World No. 12 won a point.

"It was great that a contest at a Paralympic event was so well received by the crowd," stated Palak, who eased past her opponent 21-12 in the first game.

The second game did present a challenge to Palak Kohli as she found herself trailing 1-4 even as the decibels were raised in the stadium.

An unsettling drift from the air conditioning caused the Chandigarh University student to lose her momentum briefly before she devised a way to counter the disruption of the trajectory of the shuttlecock.

"Gaurav Sir and I worked out a way to try and avoid a certain area of the court where the drift was," she recalled.

Playing against an opponent 11 years her senior proved to be a tough ask for Palak Kohli in her next SL4 Group C match. She stayed well ahead of Leani Ratri Oktila on points before bagging the opening game but appeared to lose her way in the second.

Palak was candid enough to admit that playing the highly experienced Indonesian second seed on the big stage was never going to be easy despite having defeated her in Canada in 2023.

"She (Oktila) is 11 years older than me along with being a triple medalist (gold in women's doubles and mixed doubles) at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and she ended up with medals in Paris as well," said Palak Kohli, who was the youngest athlete ever to qualify for three Para-badminton events in Tokyo.

Even as coach Gaurav Khanna advised her from the sidelines to prolong the short rallies by making her opponent run around the court, Oktila veered ahead steadily to draw level, taking the lopsided second game with ease.

The World Championships bronze medalist regained her rhythm in the deciding game but Oktila's consistency enabled the Indonesian to prevail 18-21, 21-5, 21-13 in 38 minutes. Palak Kohli eventually lost to another Indonesian, Khalimatus Sadiyah 19-21, 15-21 in the SL4 women's singles quarterfinal.

Not one to brood over past shortcomings, Palak Kohli has her sights set firmly on the 2026 World Championships and the 2028 LA Paralympics.

"I have a short-term plan for the Asian Championships definitely and to bring back the title. I also have in mind the major tournaments coming up in 2026 including the Parabadminton World Championships. Definitely have an eye on LA 2028," she said unhesistatingly when delineating her future plans.

Intermittent challenges remain on account of her condition as Gaurav Khanna spelt out while underlining his continued support for the champion athlete.

"Despite her incredible achievements, she still faces intermittent challenges due to her condition. We are continually working on her recovery and overall well-being, ensuring she gets the support she needs to keep pushing boundaries," he declared.

That Palak Kohli refuses to be restricted within boundaries is a fact so well established that no feat, however, daunting seems beyond the reach of the diminutive yet determined girl from Jalandhar.