Para-shuttlers Pramod Bhagat, Sukant Kadam become World No. 1 in men's doubles category

Indian para-badminton players have recently made a mark for themselves and have made the nation proud. The two, namely Pramod Bhagat and Sukand Kadam, are the champions to talk about.

Pramod Bhagat is a prominent Indian para-badminton player from the Bargarh area of Odisha. He is now rated second in the world in the men's singles SL3 para-badminton and earned a gold medal in the men's singles SL3 at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Pramod was born in Hajipur, Vaishali district, Bihar on June 4, 1988.

He is the youngest of six siblings. He contracted polio when he was five years old, resulting in a handicap affecting his left leg. He first became interested in badminton when he was 13 years old and went to watch a match. For the next two years, he was completely immersed in the game, learning footwork, fitness, and game mechanics.

Pramod's first competition was against regular category players when he was 15 years old. Spectators supported him, which drove him to advance in his badminton career.

Kadam was rejected from the class team during his first year of mechanical engineering in January 2011 at the Government College of Engineering and Research, Avasari Khurd due to his sluggish mobility. He was given the opportunity to play for his college squad after a year of practice and hard work. Girisha Nagarajegowda, a para-athlete, won silver in the high jump (F42) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

This is how Kadam became acquainted with Paralympic sports and Para-badminton. He debuted in the 2014 England Para-Badminton International.

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Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam win gold at Brazil Para-Badminton International 2023

2020 Tokyo Paralympics - Day 11

Going by the latest news, Ace Indian para-shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam won gold at the recently completed Brazil Para-Badminton International 2023, and have risen to the top of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings in the men's doubles category.

Pramod and Sukant have played together in the men's doubles SL 3- SL 4 division for the previous eight months, and have won gold in the last three events. They won gold medals at the 2023 Brazil Para-Badminton International, the 2023 Spanish Para-Badminton International, and the Thailand Para-Badminton 2022 Tournament.

"I am really happy to be World No 1 again with Sukant Kadam. Both me and Sukant have put in a lot of effort and have been working hard to reach where we have reached. This is just the start, and we are looking to build upon what we have achieved and reach for more glory and medals for India," Padma Shri Awardee Pramod said in a press release.

"The hard work has paid off and this is just the beginning. We plan to continue our great form into the upcoming tournaments. Becoming World, No 1 will motivate us to work harder and double our efforts in practice. There are a few more areas where we need to work, and the focus will be on those," Sukant said.

The pair will now focus their efforts on forthcoming events such as the Thailand Para-Badminton International 2023 and the Bahrain Para-Badminton International 2023, to mention a few.