Gold medallist Kumar Nitesh: A 29-year-old Delhi native said para runners should be treated equally to their able-bodied colleagues after capturing a historical gold medal for the SL3 class at the Paris Paralympics.
Paralympics champion Kumar Nitesh is fed up with the Badminton Association of India (BAI)’s absence of acknowledgement and disagreements within it. He has urged for para badminton to be moved under the Paralympic Commission of India (PCI) in order to further develop the sport.
The 29-year-old Haryana native said para shuttlers should be treated equally to their able-bodied counterparts after winning a historic gold medal in the SL3 class at the Paris Paralympics.
Kumar told PTI, “We have won five medals at the Paralympics, fourteen or fifteen at the World Championships, and twenty-one medals at the Asian Para Games, but we don’t receive basic appreciation from BAI.”
This is a persistent problem; it is not a brand-new one. They continue to focus only on competitors who are able-bodied, making little attempt to advance para badminton. Kumar also took to social media to voice his displeasure after BAI used Twitter to praise the para shuttlers on their performance in Paris.
IIT Mandi alumni Kumar listed a number of administrative problems that para-shuttlers face.
“Administrative inefficiencies and delays are severe. Usually, just one or two individuals handle everything, and since it’s a bit much for them, they occasionally forget things.
Gold medallist Kumar Nitesh of the Paris Paralympics:
A few players have reported that their entries for foreign events were occasionally overlooked and that they ended up in the spam folder. Things arrive much later than expected. We were kept waiting at the airport quite frequently. He listed a number of occasional logistical problems they encounter, saying, “We don’t have transport from the local organizer because the payments were not done on time.”
“There was a delay in booking the hotel rooms. Flights arrive in the eleventh hour. During the qualifying season, these difficulties were very stressful, but we plan to fix them now that we have some free time.
In order to provide improved support for players going forward, Kumar—who lost his left leg in a rail accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009—emphasized the significance of rectifying these challenges.
“We recently brought up our concerns with the Sports Minister, and he promised to look into the matter.” At the moment, PCI oversees powerlifting, shooting, and athletics. The national able-bodied federations of BAI, AAI, and TTFI are in charge of other parasports including badminton, archery, and table tennis.
“First and foremost, we require an appropriate staff for administration. Nowadays, one individual is frequently responsible for all duties, which can occasionally become too much to handle. Tasks may be allocated and managed more successfully with a committed staff, said Kumar.
Furthermore, it is imperative to develop an unambiguous communication channel. We must be aware of the precise person to contact with any issues.
Furthermore, the participants themselves don’t always have enough say in the selection processes, which are usually managed by a limited group. Including seasoned participants in the process may enhance decision-making and yield insightful viewpoints.
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