Surakarta [Indonesia], September 22 : India's para-badminton Sukant Kadam clinched a silver medal at the Indonesia Para-Badminton International 2024, showcasing remarkable skill and determination throughout the tournament. In a hard-fought final, Kadam faced Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan in the Men's Singles SL4 category, with the match ending 21-14, 21-14 in favour of the local favourite.
Reflecting on his performance, Kadam said, "I gave my best in the final, but Fredy played an exceptional game. It was a great learning experience, and I'm proud of my journey in this tournament. Every match is a step forward, and I'll keep pushing to improve and aim for gold in future competitions."
Kadam's silver medal cements his position among the top para-badminton players in the world, continuing his impressive international form.
India's Medal Haul
The Indian contingent delivered a stellar performance, with several athletes winning medals across various categories:
* Men's Singles SL3: Umesh Vikram secured gold, while Nehal Gupta took silver and Jagadesh Dilli won bronze.
* Women's Singles SL3: Mandeep Kaur won silver, and Neeraj claimed bronze.
* Men's Singles SH6: Sivarajan won silver, and Sudarsan Saravanakumar Muthusamy secured bronze.
* Men's Singles SL4: Naveen Sivakumar bagged a bronze medal.
* Men's Singles SU5: Ruthick Ragupathi took home silver.
* Women's Singles SU5: Koshika Devda won bronze.
* Mixed Doubles SL3-SL4: Nehal Gupta and Naveen Sivakumar claimed silver, while Umesh and Surya, along with Harshit and Kartik, secured bronze.
* Men's Doubles SU5: Hardik Makkar and Ruthick Ragupathi won gold.
* Women's Wheelchair WH1: Pallavi Kuluvehalli took gold, while Prema Vishwas and Anusha Chidananda secured bronze.
* Women's Singles WH2: Alphia James clinched gold, with Shabana winning bronze.
* Mixed Doubles WH1-WH2: Poorna Rao and Munna Khalid won bronze.
* Men's WH1: Prem Kumar Ale secured bronze.
* Women's Doubles SL3-SU5: Neeraj and Arati Patil secured bronze, alongside Vaishali Nilesh and Irina Whalers from Germany.
* Women's Doubles WH1-WH2: Alphia James and Pallavi Kuluvehalli won bronze, along with Anusha Chidananda and Shabana.
This exceptional performance underscores India's growing strength in para-badminton on the global stage.