Paris Paralympics 2024 | Tragedy to glory: IIT Mandi graduate Nitesh Kumar’s journey to becoming a Paralympic champion

Nitesh Kumar (Pic: Instagram)

Nitesh Kumar stands on the brink of Paralympic glory today, but his path to this moment was fraught with hardship and uncertainty. Once confined to a bed with diminishing hopes and a broken spirit, Nitesh's life took a drastic turn following a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009, which resulted in the loss of his leg when he was just 15 years old.

But he left everything behind on Monday as he outplayed Great Britain's second-seeded Daniel Bethell to clinch a historic gold medal in the men's singles SL3 category in the ongoing Paris Paralympics 2024.

"My childhood has been a little different. I used to play football, and then the accident happened. I had to quit sports permanently and got into studies. But then sports came back into my life," Nitesh recalled, in an interview to news agency PTI. However, sports eventually re-entered his life, offering a new purpose.

During his time at IIT-Mandi, Nitesh discovered badminton, which became both his refuge and his source of strength. Inspired by the humility and dedication of fellow para shuttler Pramod Bhagat and cricket star Virat Kohli, Nitesh began to rebuild his life. "Pramod bhaiyya [Pramod Bhagat] has been an inspiration. Not just because of how skillful and experienced he is, but also because of how humble he is as a human being," he said.

"I also admire Virat Kohli because the way he has converted himself into a fit athlete -- like how he used to be before 2013 -- and how he is now so fit and so disciplined."

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The son of a navy officer, Nitesh once harbored dreams of donning a uniform himself. "I was crazy about uniforms. I used to see my father in his (uniform), and I wanted to be in either sports or a defense job like the Army or Navy," he said. he said. The accident, however, shattered those dreams. Yet, a visit to the Artificial Limbs Centre in Pune proved transformative. There, he witnessed war veterans who had lost limbs pushing their limits, inspiring him to rethink his own potential. "I saw 40-45-year-old people playing football, cycling, and running on crutches. I told myself that if they can do that at that age, I can turn my life around," he reflected.

Nitesh made his para-badminton debut at the 2016 Nationals in Faridabad, securing a bronze medal while representing Haryana. His breakthrough came the following year in Bengaluru, where he earned silver in singles and bronze in doubles. His domestic success culminated in a gold medal at the 2020 Nationals, where he defeated Paralympic medalists Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar.

The victory of Bhagat at the Tokyo Paralympics inspired Nitesh to envision his own success on the Paralympic stage. Now, that dream is tantalizingly close. "I have been performing consistently, so I had the self-belief that I would make the finals. It feels amazing to actually do that, especially after losing my mixed doubles. I didn't let it affect me," he said.

(With PTI inputs)