Pramod Bhagat shines with triple gold at 1st Abia Para Badminton International

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Ace Indian para shuttler Pramod Bhagat continued his golden run as he clinch three titles at the 1st Abia Para Badminton International tournament held in Abia, Nigeria, from September 30 to October 5.

The 37-year-old, who won gold at Tokyo Paralympic but missed out of Paris Games due to three whereabouts failures, captured the men’s singles SL3 crown with a hard-fought 21-7, 9-21, 21-9 win over compatriot Mantu Kumar in the final.

Bhagat, who won the China Para Badminton International after returning to action following a 18-months ban, showed trademark composure and tactical sharpness, recovering strongly after dropping the second game to seal the contest.

He then combined with Sukant Kadam to add the men’s doubles gold, defeating Peru’s Gerson Jair Vargas Lostaunaul and Diana Rojas Golac 21-13, 21-17.

Bhagat’s third title came in mixed doubles (SL3-SU5), where he partnered with Arati Patil to claim another close final, rounding off a commanding all-round performance that reaffirmed his stature as India’s most decorated para shuttler.

“Every victory motivates me to push my limits further. Competing at this level and bringing glory to India is always special. I’m proud of the hard work and the support team behind these wins,” Bhagat said in a release.

Bhagat’s partner in doubles, Sukant Kadam said, “Playing alongside Pramod always pushes me to bring my best game. Our understanding on court has grown stronger with every match. This win gives us great confidence for upcoming international events.” Meanwhile, Ranjit Singh bagged three bronze medals — in men’s singles WH1, men’s doubles WH1-WH2 (with Paramjit Singh) and mixed doubles WH1-WH2 (with Shabana).

Nurul Hossain Khan clinched silver in men’s singles WH2, while Uma Sarkar took silver in women’s singles SL3. Sarkar also partnered Arati for a bronze in women’s doubles SL3-SU5.

Other notable results included bronzes for Nilesh Gaikwad (men’s SL4) and Kanak Singh Jadaun (women’s SL4), and a clean sweep for India in men’s singles SU5, with Karan Paneer, Rahul Vimal and Sativada taking gold, silver and bronze respectively. PTI ATK DDV