Kumar Nitesh
Indian para-badminton player (born 1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nitesh Kumar (born 30 December 1994) is an Indian para-badminton player.[1] He won a gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the men's singles SL3 category.[2] He is a two-time silver and one-time bronze medalist at the World Championships. Kumar has won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Para Games over the years.[3]
Kumar in January 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 30 December 1994 Bas Kirtan, Rajasthan, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2016–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles SL3 Men's doubles SL3–SL4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | Men's singles 3 (2022) Men's doubles 2; with Tarun Dhillon (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | Men's singles: 1 Men's doubles: 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BWF profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life and education
Kumar was born on 30 December 1994 in Bas Kirtan, Rajasthan. In 2009, he lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. After bed ridden for many months, he prepared for IIT entrance exam for over a year and joined Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi in 2014. He started playing badminton at IIT and in 2016 represented the Haryana team at the Para National Championships.[4] He resides at Karnal, Haryana and is supported by sports NGO, Olympic Gold Quest.[5]
Career
He made his international debut in 2016. In 2017, he won his first title at the Irish Para-Badminton International. Later, he took part and won matches at BWF Para Badminton World Circuit and won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games at Hangzhou, China.[4][5]
He became the world number 3 in the SL3 category on 14 June 2022.[6]
Coaching career
In 2019, he started working as Senior Badminton Coach at the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Haryana.[7][4]
Achievements
Paralympic Games
Men's singles SL3
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Porte de La Chapelle Arena, Paris, France |  Daniel Bethell |
21–14, 18–21, 23–21 |  Gold |
World Championships
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Pramod Bhagat |
19–21, 19–21 |  Silver |
| 2024 | Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, Pattaya, Thailand |  Daniel Bethell |
18–21, 22–20, 14–21 |  Bronze |
| 2026 | Isa Sports City, Manama, Bahrain |  Muh Al Imran |
21–12, 17–21, 11–21 | Bronze |
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland | Tarun Dhillon |
Pramod Bhagat Manoj Sarkar |
21–14, 15–21, 16–21 | Silver |
Asian Para Games
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China | Pramod Bhagat |
20–22, 21–18, 19–21 | Silver |
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia |
Anand Kumar Boregowda |
 Jeon Sun-woo Joo Dong-jae |
16–21, 11–21 | Bronze |
| 2022 | Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China |
Sukant Kadam |
Dwiyoko Fredy Setiawan |
9–21, 21–19, 22–20 |  Gold |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Binjiang Gymnasium, Hangzhou, China |
Thulasimathi Murugesan |
Fredy Setiawan Khalimatus Sadiyah |
17–21, 12–21 | Bronze |
BWF Para Badminton World Circuit (12 titles, 11 runners-up)
The BWF Para Badminton World Circuit – Grade 2, Level 1, 2 and 3 tournaments has been sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation from 2022.[8][9]
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Spanish Para Badminton International II | Level 2 | Pramod Bhagat |
21–17, 17–21, 17–21 |  Runner-up |
| 2022 | Brazil Para Badminton International | Level 2 |  Daisuke Fujihara |
21–15, 18–21, 21–18 |  Winner |
| 2022 | Dubai Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Pramod Bhagat |
21–19, 17–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Brazil Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Pramod Bhagat |
21–12, 21–13 | Winner |
| 2023 | Bahrain Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Pramod Bhagat |
16–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Western Australia Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Manoj Sarkar |
21–14, 21–14 | Winner |
| 2024 | Spanish Para Badminton International II | Level 2 | Manoj Sarkar |
21–17, 21–14 | Winner |
| 2024 | Spanish Para Badminton International I | Level 1 |  Oleksandr Chyrkov |
21–11, 21–13 | Winner |
| 2024 | 4 Nations Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Daniel Bethell |
11–21, 7–21 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Spanish Para Badminton International II | Level 2 | Sukant Kadam |
Pramod Bhagat Manoj Sarkar |
19–21, 21–11, 11–21 | Runner-up |
| 2022 | Brazil Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Tarun Dhillon |
Mohammad Arwaz Ansari Deep Ranjan Bisoyee |
21–13, 17–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2022 | Bahrain Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Tarun Dhillon |
 Mongkhon Bunsun Siripong Teamarrom |
21–13, 21–7 | Winner |
| 2023 | Spanish Para Badminton International II | Level 2 | Tarun Dhillon |
Pramod Bhagat Sukant Kadam |
20–22, 21–12, 9–21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Thailand Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Tarun Dhillon |
Pramod Bhagat Sukant Kadam |
21–18, 14–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Bahrain Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Tarun Dhillon |
Pramod Bhagat Sukant Kadam |
24–22, 9–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Canada Para Badminton International | Level 1 | Tarun Dhillon |
Nilesh Gaikwad Nehal Gupta |
21–12, 21–8 | Winner |
 Guillaume Gailly William Roussy |
21–13, 21–12 | |||||
| Deep Ranjan Bisoyee Manoj Sarkar |
21–9, 17–21, 21–16 | |||||
| Pramod Bhagat Sukant Kadam |
11–21, 21–16, 21–16 | |||||
| 2022 | Bahrain Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Tarun Dhillon |
Mongkhon Bunsun Siripong Teamarrom |
21–13, 21–7 | Winner |
| 2023 | Spanish Para Badminton International II | Level 2 | Tarun Dhillon |
Pramod Bhagat Sukant Kadam |
20–22, 21–12, 9–21 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Brazil Para-Badminton International | Level 2 | Thulasimathi Murugesan |
Hikmat Ramdani Leani Ratri Oktila |
18–21, 9–21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Uganda Para Badminton International | Level 3 | Thulasimathi Murugesan |
Naveen Sivakumar Palak Kohli |
21–12, 21–11 | Winner |
| 2023 | Western Australia Para Badminton International | Level 2 | Thulasimathi Murugesan |
Fredy Setiawan Khalimatus Sadiyah |
15–21, 22–20, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2024 | Spanish Para Badminton International II | Level 2 | Thulasimathi Murugesan |
Chirag Baretha Mandeep Kaur |
21–11, 21–16 | Winner |
| 2024 | Spanish Para Badminton International I | Level 1 | Thulasimathi Murugesan |
Lucas Mazur Faustine Noël |
22–20, 21–15 | Winner |
International Tournaments (7 runners-up)
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Uganda Para Badminton International | Umesh Vikram Kumar |
21–17, 15–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
| 2020 | Peru Para Badminton International | Pramod Bhagat |
18–21, 21–15, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2021 | Dubai Para Badminton International | Pramod Bhagat |
17–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dubai Para Badminton International | Fredy Setiawan |
Ukun Rukaendi Hary Susanto |
17–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
| 2019 | Turkish Para Badminton International | Tarun Dhillon |
Dwiyoko Fredy Setiawan |
14–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
| 2019 | Irish Para Badminton International | Tarun Dhillon |
Pramod Bhagat Manoj Sarkar |
21–13, 18–21, 21–23 | Runner-up |
| 2021 | Dubai Para Badminton International | Sukant Kadam |
Pramod Bhagat Manoj Sarkar |
18–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |