Paralympics 2021: How para shuttler Pramod Bhagat overcame polio to become World No. 1

Pramod Bhagat has never caught the limelight like some of the other badminton stars in the country have managed. PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal's achievements and laurels have been seen and appreciated by everyone. Bhagat's achievements - 45 international medals, including 4 world championship gold medals - somehow never made the headlines.

This never deterred Bhagat from his path. The para-badminton player continues to give his best on the court. The 33-year-old from Odisha will yet again be fighting to win a medal at this year's Paralympic Games in Tokyo in the men's singles and doubles competitions in the SL3 category.

Meet World No. 1 Para-Shuttler @PramodBhagat83 who has 4 BWF World Championships titles under his name. With hard work & determination, he is now ready to win a medal for 🇮🇳 at @Tokyo2020 #Paralympics Let us #Cheer4India #Praise4Para @PMOIndia @ianuragthakur @NisithPramanik pic.twitter.com/OPzP3SQa6n

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) August 17, 2021

Pramod Bhagat's journey to the top

Bhagat hails from a small district of Odisha called Attabira. Like any young Indian boy, Pramod Bhagat was passionate about cricket and spent most of his childhood playing the sport in his backyard and local tournaments.

Bhagat was detected with Polio in his left leg at the age of 5. Like a spirited warrior, Bhagat did not let the disease hold him back in any way. He continued his activities and kept his love for sports as well.

As Bhagat grew older, he found a liking for badminton. He used to watch some of the older kids in his neighborhood practice the sport and it was not long before Pramod was himself on the court, engaging in the back and forth shot-making of badminton.

Since the sport was not very popular back then, Bhagat and his seniors played on makeshift outdoor courts. However, making the switch to an indoor court was not very difficult for Bhagat either. With the help of his coach, SP Das, Pramod Bhagat became a regular in practice and started thinking about taking up the sport professionally.

By 2005, Bhagat found himself competing at the national level. During his very first outing, the shuttler bagged a gold medal. A year later, Bhagat made his foray into international level by competing at the FESCPIC Games, now known as Asian Para Games, in 2006. He did not have the ideal start to his international career as he exited the competition in the first round, but abilities were set to take him to the pinnacle of his sport in the years to follow.

By 2021, 16 years since his debut, Bhagat has clinched close to 100 medals in international competitions. These include 5 medals at the world para badminton championship. Bhagat won his first gold medal at the world championship in 2009. This was followed by 2 more gold medals in the 2013 and 2015 editions. Bhagat was not done just yet. He only managed to win a bronze medal in the 2017 edition and vowed to come back stronger the next time. He managed that and claimed another world championship gold medal in 2019.

The southpaw has been practicing with full vigor and dedication to clinch a medal for India at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Pramod has been in blazing hot form in the buildup to the tournament and has won two gold medals and a bronze at the recently concluded Dubai Para Badminton tournament.

Pramod Bhagat will be competing in the singles and mixed doubles events in the SL3 and SL5 categories. He will be in action on September 1st for both the events.