Story of Nitesh who won gold for the country in Paralympics: 15 years ago he lost his leg in a train accident, told his mother that he will return; has completed B-Tech from IIT Mandi

Comeback…This 4 letter word sounds very small, but its meaning is big. Its real meaning is hidden in the success story of para-badminton player Nitesh Kumar of Karnal (Haryana).

30-year-old Nitesh won a gold medal for India in the Paris Paralympics. This is the same Nitesh who lost his left leg in a train accident 15 years ago in 2009. He was going to play a local football tournament in Visakhapatnam. Here Nitesh’s dream of becoming a footballer was shattered. 15-year-old Nitesh did not give up and seeing his mother crying in the hospital, he said – ‘Mother, I will come back.’

Recovering from the accident, Nitesh did B.Tech Engineering from IIT Mandi. To relieve the stress of studies, he again resorted to sports, but this time he chose badminton instead of football. Not only this, on August 2, he won the second gold for India in the Paris Paralympics and waved the jersey in the style of Dada (Sourav Ganguly).

Nitish Kumar, who returned home, talked to Dainik Bhaskar. He said- ‘I am happy that I was able to serve the country in some way or the other.’ Excerpts from the conversation between Nitish Kumar and Dainik Bhaskar…

This photo of Nitish Kumar is from 2 September this year, when he won gold in the Paralympics.

Question: Tell us about the struggles of the journey till here? answer- I have seen many ups and downs in my life. Earlier I wanted to become a footballer. My father was in the Navy, so I also loved the white uniform. I also wanted to join the Navy and serve the country. But, my dream was shattered in that accident in 2009.

With my father’s support, I recovered and focused on my studies. I started playing badminton to keep myself refreshed during my studies. This is where my career started.

Question: You have made a comeback from a big accident, what has been your motivation? answer- When I regained consciousness after the accident, I found myself in the hospital. My mother was crying… so I told her – don’t worry. I will come back again. After winning the medal in the National Championship, I met other players. There I motivated myself by the struggles of my teammates. When I won gold in the Irish Para-Badminton International in 2017, I felt that my dream of becoming a player could be fulfilled through this.

Question- What was the strategy in Paris Paralympics? answer- When I qualified, I felt that a milestone had been crossed. Before going to Paris, I had never thought that I would win gold. I kept winning one match after another and reached the final, then I thought that I have to do the same thing that Pramod Bhaiya (Pramod Bhagat) did 3 years ago in Tokyo. After the final, the coach said that you gave your best at the right time.

Question- Who is your favorite player? answer- My favourite player is Virat Kohli. I am very impressed by him. He keeps himself very fit. I have seen many of his interviews in which he has talked about how he has changed himself since 2013. How he works hard to keep himself fit. How he plans and focuses on training.

Question- How did you miss Tokyo? Answer- I could not qualify for Tokyo. In badminton, qualification is based on ranking. I had my exam. So I could participate in fewer events during that time. My fitness was also not good during that time. I was also ill. But whatever I missed at that time, I corrected it in preparation for Paris. The coaches of Sports Authority of India (SAI) helped me in this. I was selected in the top. I got all kinds of support and training. Due to which I became aware about badminton and qualified for the Paralympics.