Asian Para Games 2026: Nitesh, Naveen secure men’s singles golds; Nithya, Thulasimathi win silvers

File photo: Indian shuttler Nitesh Kumar beat compatriot Pramod Bhagat in the men’s singles SL3 final to claim gold at Asian Para Games 2026. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Indian shuttlers Nitesh Kumar and Naveen Sivakumar secured men’s singles golds in the SL3 and SL4 categories, respectively, at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Nagoya on Friday.

Nitesh produced a clinical performance to beat compatriot Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 and claim the win in a clash between two Paralympic gold medallists.

“Very happy to win the Asian Games gold medal. Last time I was close; I was leading 19-16 in the third set, and then I lost. So this time, winning it and again winning in two sets against Pramod is, of course, very special, and I think it’s one of the rarest of the rare things to see,” said Nitesh.

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Naveen, meanwhile, showcased his prowess to beat Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17 in 36 minutes to claim the top prize.

In the women’s singles competition, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan secured a silver medal in the SH6 category after falling to China’s Li Fengmei 12-21, 13-21.

Thulasimathi Murugesan also grabbed silver after losing the SU5 final 18-21, 11-21 to China’s Yang Qiuxia.