The months leading up to BWF Para Badminton World Championships 2026 have been about building rhythm, balance and belief for India’s Kumar Nitesh.
For the three-time World Championships medallist, 2025 was about learning how to live with the golden moments from Paris 2024. The Paralympic gold changed many things – not just his career but the way he approached sport, pressure and expectation.
Every moment of that day is vivid in his memory – the final point, the roar of the crowd, the embrace with his coach and then the stillness – standing on the podium as the Indian flag rose and the national anthem played.
“Those moments are etched in my memory forever,” says Nitesh, who pulled off a stunning 21-14 18-21 23-21 win over Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Daniel Bethell in the SL3 men’s singles final. “Even today, thinking about them makes me emotional.”
Finding Balance
The road to Paris had been intense – physically demanding and mentally consuming. When the Games ended, Nitesh made a conscious decision to pause.
“I took a long break after Paris,” he explains. “I needed time to recover physically and mentally. When I returned to training, I was excited again. I started enjoying badminton.”
That pause became the foundation of his 2025. Instead of rushing back into competition, Nitesh focused on rebuilding rhythm, sharpening details in training and trusting the process that had taken him to the top – an approach that now feeds directly into his preparation for the World Championships in Manama, Bahrain next week.
Triple Gold
And when he returned to competition, the response was emphatic.
At the Asian Para Badminton Championships in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand in June, Nitesh delivered one of the finest performances of his career, claiming three gold medals across three events – men’s singles, men’s doubles (SL3-SL4) and mixed doubles (SL3-SU5).
He beat Indonesia’s Muh Al Imran in straight games for the men’s singles title, paired up with Sukant Kadam for men’s doubles and regular partner Thulasimathi Murugesan for mixed doubles.
“All three events require different strategies,” he explains. “Being able to adapt and execute those changes at such a big tournament gave me a lot of confidence.”
More than the medals, the Asian Championships served as a testament that Paris was not a one-off but the result of sustained preparation, belief and control – qualities that will be vital in Manama.
The success also saw him being nominated along with two-time Paralympic champions China’s Qu Zimo (WH1), Malaysia’s Cheah Liek Hou (SU5) and Japan’s Daiki Kajiwara (WH2) for BWF’s Men’s Para Badminton Player of the Year award.
With Murugesan at Indonesia Para Badminton International 2025.
Growing Beyond Results
In the months following Paris, Nitesh visited schools and training centres, spending time with young athletes and sharing his journey.
“If my story and achievements can help someone believe in themselves, that means a lot to me.”
A coach himself at a badminton academy in the north Indian state of Haryana, Nitesh finds that teaching has sharpened his own understanding of the game.
“Watching young players gives you a different perspective,” he reflects. “It helps me, especially during tricky matches and unfamiliar conditions.”
Since 2023, Nitesh has been training at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad and 2025 was the year that work began to show greater results.
“I’ve become more patient and focused,” he says. “I’ve worked on covering my weak corners and turning them into strengths.”
That patience has become one of his greatest strengths, complementing his natural attacking game and never-give-up attitude.
Eyes on the World Title
Nitesh’s next major target is the World Championships, where he aims to build on his growing consistency at the highest level.
“The goal is simple,” says Nitesh, who celebrated his 31st birthday on 30 December. “To keep improving, stay focused and trust the process.”
From making his international debut in 2016, to overcoming adversity and standing on the top step of the Paralympic podium, Nitesh’s journey has been shaped by resilience and quiet determination.
And 10 years on, it continues – as the world No.1.
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