Nitesh Kumar’s journey: From being a bedridden teen to Paralympic finalist

Paris: He might be standing on the cusp of Paralympic glory now, but there was a time when Nitesh Kumar was bedridden for months -- hopes dwindling and spirit broken.

Nitesh’s life took a tragic turn when he was 15 as he lost his leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009.

Confined to a bed, despair consumed his mind and struggled to find a path forward.

“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,” recalled Nitesh, who reached the badminton SL3 final with a commanding straight-game win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara.

He discovered badminton during his stint at the IIT-Mandi, and the sport became his sanctuary and source of strength. Inspired by the humility of fellow para shuttler Pramod Bhagat and the relentless dedication of star cricketer 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." The son of a navy officer, Nitesh had once aspired to wear the 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.

But the accident shattered those dreams. But a visit to the Artificial Limbs Centre in Pune realigned Nitesh’s perspective. He saw war veterans, who had lost limbs, pushing their limits at the Centre.

“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 debut at the 2016 Nationals in Faridabad, winning a bronze while representing Haryana. The following year, he clinched silver in singles and bronze in doubles at Bengaluru, establishing himself in para-badminton.

His domestic success peaked at the 2020 Nationals, where he defeated Paralympic medalists Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar to win gold.

Watching Bhagat claim gold in Tokyo, Nitesh began to dream of his own Paralympic success. Now, that dream is within his reach.

“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.

But for now, his focus is on the final.

“I haven’t thought about the final. I will focus on my recovery (after the match). Generally, I discuss the match with my coach on the morning of the game. I don’t want to think about it the whole night; I’d rather focus on recovery now,” he signed off.