rom Jaipur, Krishna Nagar overcame bullying and a peak drawback to win gold in para-badminton on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Regardless of going through private tragedies, right here’s how he stays targeted on defending his title on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Video games.
Krishna Nagar had a dream since childhood — to boost India’s flag excessive on the Paralympics. In doing so, he would fulfil his father Sunil Nagar’s dream, a sportsman who couldn’t proceed his pursuit attributable to private causes.
Krishna made each his father and nation proud when he received gold on the Tokyo Paralympics, changing into solely the second Indian to attain this in badminton.
Born in Jaipur, Krishna was recognized with dwarfism on the age of two. Confronted with the dangers of remedy for his progress impairment, his father Sunil launched him to numerous sports activities, unaware that this could turn out to be a game-changer for Krishna.
From a younger age, Krishna performed cricket, soccer, and volleyball, and even tried the lengthy leap, believing that sports activities would possibly assist him develop taller. He shared that collaborating in athletics considerably improved his explosive energy.
Sports activities turned an escape for Krishna, offering refuge from the taunts and bullying he endured attributable to his peak of 4 toes 7 inches. The bullying continued into school and on the sports activities discipline, affecting him so deeply that he deserted his favorite sports activities like cricket and volleyball, retreating into himself.
“There have been individuals who stated I might not have the ability to do something in life,” Krishna advised The Bridge.
Unable to observe his son turn out to be a shadow of his former self, Sunil enrolled Krishna in a badminton academy in Jaipur.
“The bullying modified my son’s life, and he’s now a Paralympic gold medallist. It motivated him to show his detractors improper and he did that in fashion by profitable gold,” Sunil advised The New Indian Specific.
Two pivotal issues occurred throughout this time: Krishna made peace together with his peak and found para-badminton. When Krishna’s coach defined that there was a class in para-badminton that allowed for worldwide competitors, it was a game-changer for him. Since then, he has by no means seemed again.
He started coaching beneath Gaurav Khanna, the pinnacle coach of the Indian para-badminton staff and a Dronacharya awardee.
He started competing internationally, incomes a bronze medal on the 2018 Asian Para Video games and the World Para Badminton Championships in 2019. His defining second got here with profitable the gold medal within the males’s singles SH6 class on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Talking about dealing with nerves at such big-stakes competitions, he advised Sportstar that it’s about being calm. “Many occasions it occurs that if you find yourself taking part in such an enormous event, it’s about how one can management your self, your feelings; that turns into extra essential. While you come into such an enormous event, you need to keep somewhat calm and play,” he stated.
Because the nation celebrated his triumph, he confronted a significant blow when his mom handed away six months after his victory. “There have been too many hurdles after her passing away. She was my the whole lot. However then my psychological state of affairs worsened after her demise. I sunk into darkness,” he advised The Indian Specific.
His associates and badminton helped pull him away from the darkish place. He determined to do his greatest and began engaged on defending his Paralympic gold in Paris.
All eyes are on Krishna as we look ahead to a possible repeat of his Tokyo success in Paris.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
Sources
‘Paris 2024: With one eye on defending Paralympics title, Krishna Nagar banks on tight-knit Indian contingent for assist’ by Aditya Padinjat, Printed on 24 August 2024, Courtesy Sportstar
‘As soon as bullied for brief stature, Krishna Nagar wins gold in males’s badminton singles at Tokyo Paralympics’ Printed on 6 September 2021, Courtesy The New Indian Specific
