"It's like Neeraj Chopra not competing for India" - Sukant Kadam expresses disappointment over Pramod Bhagat's suspension from Paris 2024 Paralympics

Para-shuttler Sukant Kadam will soon be making his maiden Paralympic appearance at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Amid a proud achievement, there is still something that makes Sukant feel disappointed ahead of the Games.

Though Sukant is only competing in the singles category in Paris, the absence of his doubles partner and friend, Pramod Bhagat, upsets him. Gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Pramod, was recently handed an 18-month ban by the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) for whereabouts failure.

As a result, he will not be competing at the Games in Paris. Sukant feels India has missed out on a 'sure shot gold medal' in Paris. In a conversation with Sportskeeda, Sukant Kadam heaped much praise on Bhagat.

"It is like Neeraj Chopra not competing for India. We have lost out on a sure shot medal, possibly a gold. Given his strong will, I see him making a roaring comeback. Even after missing out, he ensured giving me a pep talk over the phone and say words of motivation ahead of the Paralympics," Sukant said.

Sukant Kadam has shared many glorious moments with Bhagat, with the two being doubles partners at various recent competitions. However, for the 31-year-old, Pramod is more of his inspiration than a teammate. He said:

"When I started competing for India, Pramod was already a champion. There is so much to learn, the way he works hard, trains and performs. There is so much about life I have learnt from him. I feel so happy to share the stage and be teammates with someone who is also my inspiration and is so humble."

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"World rankings are an indication of your consistency" - Sukant Kadam on doing well in world rankings

Sukant Kadam is currently ranked World No. 5 in the men's singles SL4 category. Recently, he also achieved his personal best ranking of World No. 2. In 2023, Sukant also became World No. 1, alongside Pramod Bhagat, in the men's doubles ranking.

The Maharashtra-born player feels the rankings are a good indicator of how an athlete has performed over a period. He also shares that it helps achieve comparatively easier draws at competitions such as the Paralympics.

"World rankings are an indication of your consistency. It shows that an athlete has perfomed well over a long period. Not just for confidence, rankings also helps getting an easier draw. It keeps tough competition away, at the start of, say the Paralympics. Better your rank, luckier you get with a lesser draw," Sukant Kadam said.