Para shuttlers Sukant Kadam, Tarun and Suhas qualify for Paris Paralympics

Shutters Sukant Kadam, Tarun and Suhas qualified for the upcoming Paralympics to be held in Paris later this year. Kadam is all set to take part in the men’s SL4 category and will also ply his trade in the quadrennial event for the first time.

Badminton players in the SL4 classification comprise athletes with minor impairments, restricting movements in one side of the body. After booking his berth in the Paralympics, Kadam took to his official ‘X’ account to show his delight at getting to represent India at the top-most level.

He wrote,

“Excited to share that I’ve officially qualified for the Paris Paralympics.”

Sukant Kadam showing his class

Kadam has been impressive in tournaments around the world, having finished on the podium a few times. He won the bronze medal in the Asian Paras Games and his performance played a crucial role in his qualification for the Paralympics.

Apart from Sukant, Suhas and Tarun also booked their ticket to Paris and will be participating in the SL4 category. Tarun and Suhas also fought their way up in their careers and will be looking to bring India medals from Paris.

Keeping aside the trio, India also have a strong contingent in the women’s category. Mandeep Kaur will take part in the women’s SL3 category. In the Para Asian Games, she bagged two bronze medals in women’s singles and doubles and showed what she was capable of.

She also bagged three bronze medals in the 2022 and 2024 World Championships in Tokyo and Pattaya respectively. Nithya and Sivarajan also made their way through to the Paralympics and will compete in the SL6 category.

The Paralympics is scheduled to be staged from August 28 to September 8 after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, which is set to take place from July 26 to August 11.