Source: REUTERS/Hannah McKay
[Saba Sports News] Paralympic champion Nitesh Kumar expressed frustration over a lack of recognition and support, publicly criticizing the Badminton Association of India (BAI) and calling for the management of para-badminton to be transferred to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). Nitesh won a gold medal in the SL3 category at the Paris Paralympics and believes that para-badminton players should enjoy benefits equal to those of able-bodied athletes. In an interview yesterday, the 29-year-old from Haryana expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the Indian para-badminton team won 21 medals at the Asian Para Games, 15 medals at the World Championships, and 5 medals at the Paris Paralympics, yet none received basic recognition from BAI. This is not a new issue but a recurring one. BAI’s focus remains solely on able-bodied athletes, with little effort made to promote para-badminton. Nitesh detailed administrative issues and logistical challenges frequently faced by para-badminton players. For example, during competition registration, there are often missed registrations due to emails being sent to spam; some athletes have been stranded at airports due to unpaid travel expenses when competing abroad. Nitesh’s complaints caught the attention of India’s sports minister, who promised to investigate the matter.