'It Makes Me Very Happy To Bring Gold For India': Nitesh Kumar On What Keeps Him Going

It makes me very happy to bring gold for India: Nitesh Kumar on what keeps him going (It makes me very happy to bring gold for India: para-shuttler Nitesh Kumar on what keeps him going in sport. Photo credit: @PCI)

Nagoya Asian Para Games:  India's Paralympic champion and multiple-time gold medallist Nitesh Kumar has won every major medal in the sport. He was recently crowned the Asian Para Games gold medallist in the Men's Singles SL3 and won a silver in the Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 event with Thulasimathi Murugesan.

He is also the reigning Paralympic champion in the singles event, having won the gold last time around in Paris when he beat Great Britain's Daniel Bethell. Nitesh also has four medals at the Worlds, two silvers and two bronzes.

Having won medals at these major international levels, Nitesh still has the drive to keep going, as he credited that the love for the sport and the desire to bring more gold medals for India keeps him motivated for more.

"I think it's, of course, the love for the sport, you know, that I enjoy doing what I'm doing. And of course, I know when I'm enjoying it and when I'm doing my best. Of course, I want to go to every tournament and give my best. It's not medal-oriented. It's always about growth. So, you know, I tend to have my best out there.

"And then, of course, if I'm going to be at my best, of course, I have the capability of winning gold. And yeah, it makes me very happy if I turn out the results with a gold and then contribute a gold medal to the medal tally (for India). So yeah, that's what keeps motivating me at every tournament," Nitesh Kumar told IANS.

"You know, I have those capabilities in me. I just have to channelise all that energy and, you know, be at my best. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't happen.

"But yeah, when it doesn't happen, we take some extra learnings from it. And of course, we learn a few things from winning as well. But yeah, when we don't win, we take a few learnings from it, you know, what we have to correct for the next one. And then again, going out with the best version next time and then winning more and more medals for the country. That's what has always been motivating me," he added.

Having won a gold at the Paris Paralympics in the singles event and two golds at the Asian Para Games (one in men's doubles and one in singles), Nitesh has only a gold at the Worlds left in an illustrious medal cabinet, which he says keeps "pinching" him. "Yeah, definitely. I have two silvers at the World Championships. I have two bronzes. I don't have a gold there. So yeah, it's the one thing that keeps pinching me somewhere back, you know, deep down.

"But yeah, I think, if I don't look at the result perspective, I think my growth over the years has been wonderful. So my aim is mainly to, you know, continue this momentum when we head to the Paralympic Games. But of course, when it comes to the world championship, that is what my target is, you know, to have my one medal, which is missing in my cabinet," he added.

He defeated Pramod Bhagat in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games final after having lost to him in the Hangzhou Para Games final three years ago. Speaking on the preparation for the rematch of the gold medal clash, he pointed out that he was patient as he knew Pramod could turn things around.

"Nothing particular as such because we have been playing each other multiple times all year long in the circuit (Nitesh on his preparations for the final against Pramod). But I think, yeah, definitely got a learning from the previous edition that, you know, it's not finished until it's finished. And he's always going to come back stronger until it's finished.

"So I think the first game was to, you know, build pressure on him. And then the second game was to, you know, stay around so that I could put pressure on him. And then when it got close to the finish line, I just kept telling myself that, you know, it's not done. And I don't have to make the same mistake that I did in Hangzhou. And then just went on to, you know, go out for every point with the same hunger," he added.

Along with the Worlds, he also has an eye on the Los Angeles Paralympics, where he will be defending his gold medal and wants an all-India final so that there is less pressure for a medal.

"Like when I was heading to the Paris Paralympics, I had a target with me that, you know, I have to, you know, go out and defend the title which Pramod bhaiya won at Tokyo. So that was my particular aim. It was not about, you know, I have to win gold, or I have to beat Bethell (Great Britain's Daniel Bethell) or something. And for me, it was just like, you know, one thing that, you know, India should stay with; the gold medal should stay with India. So I think coming up, the LA games coming up, me and Pramod bhaiya both available there.

"I think I'll be free, a little free from that thought. Because I think when we have two strong contenders, it's not just, you know, it comes on to both of us and then we can, you know, try to, you know, think of having our best out there and try to have, and if we can make it an all-India final, I think, then the final will kind of not be so pressurised, pressurable for us. So I think it's just about, you know, going out and repeating the same result for India at the games.

"Like when I was heading to the Paris Paralympics, I had a target with me that, you know, I have to, you know, go out and defend the title which Pramod bhaiya won at Tokyo. So that was my particular aim. It was not about, you know, I have to win gold, or I have to beat Bethell (Great Britain's Daniel Bethell) or something. And for me, it was just like, you know, one thing that, you know, India should stay with; the gold medal should stay with India. So I think coming up, the LA games coming up, me and Pramod bhaiya both available there.

Article Source: IANS