10 April,2021 11:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Sundari Iyer
Para shuttler Pramod Bhagat shows the three medals (two gold medals and one bronze) he won at the Dubai Para Badminton tournament on Sunday
World No. 1 para shuttler Pramod Bhagat won three medals (two golds in SL3 and SL3-SL4 and a bronze in SL3-SU5 category) at the Dubai Para-Badminton tournament recently, but he wanted nothing less than gold in all three categories.
In the SL3 category, where players have impairment in one or both lower limbs and poor walking/running balance, men's singles, he registered a 21-17, 21-18 win over compatriot Nitesh Kumar. Bhagat then paired up with Manoj Sarkar to clinch the men's doubles gold in SL3-SL4 category by beating Sukant Kadam and Nitesh Kumar 21-18, 21-16.
However, Bhagat had to be content with a bronze in the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles category. Pairing with Palak Kohli, he won bronze. Talking to mid-day.com about his performances in Dubai, Bhagat said: "I am extremely happy with my performance. It feels good to be on the court and playing against tough oppositions after a big gap. I would have loved to win three golds, but unfortunately, me and Palak [Kohli] faltered in the semi-finals.
Winning gold in singles and men's doubles was a great morale booster for me. The entire India para-athlete contingent performed well, winning 21 medals. This is a good build up to Tokyo Paralympics where badminton is being introduced for the first time."
Bhagat felt a good part of playing the tournament was that after each win, instead of shaking hands with their opponents, they would greet them with a namaste. "Playing an international tournament during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic was surely difficult. We were always wearing masks when not playing. Due to COVID-19 fear we did not shake hands after the game, but greeted them with a namaste," explained Bhagat.
While all athletes faced issues during the lockdown, Bhagat is thankful for the help he got from Sports Authority of India (SAI). "Initially, the whole scenario was very uncertain. Training facilities and courts were closed, so we had to do the basics at home. But then, the government made necessary arrangements for us to at least train at home. SAI and TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) helped me a lot, providing me a mini-gym which helped me maintain my fitness, the result of which was visible today. I was fit, that's why I was able to perform well."
He idolises cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. "I love his dedication towards the sport. I always looked up to him whenever I needed motivation and focus. I hope to meet him someday. Maybe after I win an Olympic medal for India. He will now train for Spanish para-badminton tournament [in May] and then the Tokyo Paralympics.
"As of now, there is only one goal, to win an Olympic medal for India. I would like to give back to the sport which has given me so much recognition and love by motivating more and more people to take up the sport and mentor them so that they can play at the highest level and make our country proud," said Bhagat, who works as Social Security Officer (SSO) with the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) at Bhubaneswar.
