Pramod Bhagat wins gold, Sukant Kadam hits 100 medals in Japan
Synopsis
Indian para badminton stars Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam excelled at the Japan Para Badminton International. Pramod secured a gold and a silver, while Sukant reached a milestone of 100 career medals after winning two silvers.
Indian para badminton stars Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam were among the standout performers at the Japan Para Badminton International 2026, with Pramod returning with two medals – gold in Men’s Singles SL3 and silver in Men’s Doubles SL3-SU5 – while Sukant reached a remarkable milestone of 100 career medals during the tournament. India also secured several podium finishes across categories, underlining the country’s growing strength on the international para badminton circuit.
Pramod Bhagat's Dominant Singles Gold
Pramod Bhagat produced a dominant performance in the Men’s Singles SL3 final, defeating fellow Indian U Kumar 21-16, 21-08 in 30 minutes to claim the gold medal. U Kumar began the first game strongly, opening up a five-point lead, but Pramod responded with his experience and composure to turn the contest around. Once he took control, Pramod never allowed the lead to slip. The second game was even more emphatic, with the former Paralympic champion taking the lead from the very first point and maintaining his dominance until the finish.
Pramod Bhagat said, as per a press release: "I am very happy to finish the tournament with a gold and a silver. The singles final was challenging, especially after U Kumar got the early lead, but I stayed patient and focused on my game. Once I found my rhythm, I was able to take control. The doubles result was not what we wanted, but I am proud of the fight we showed. Every international tournament is an opportunity to learn and improve, and I will take the positives from Japan."
Doubles Silver and a Milestone for Kadam
Pramod later teamed up with Sukant Kadam in the Men’s Doubles SL3-SU5, where the Indian duo secured the silver medal. They faced Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani and Fredy Setiawan in the final. The Indonesian pair came out strongly and took the opening game 21-05. Pramod and Sukant showed greater resistance in the second game but could not overturn the deficit, eventually going down 21-05, 21-15.
For Sukant Kadam, the tournament was particularly special as his medal contribution took his career tally to 100 medals in 12 years of competitive badminton. The milestone came alongside his silver medal in doubles and a singles silver-medal finish in the Men’s Singles SL4 category. In singles, Sukant faced France’s Lucas Mazur in the final. Mazur started strongly and took the opening game 21-08. Sukant responded with a much stronger second game, fighting hard and challenging the Frenchman throughout, but Mazur held his nerve to close out the match 21-16.
Sukant Kadam said:"Reaching 100 career medals is a very special moment for me. When I started playing para badminton 12 years ago, I never imagined that I would reach this milestone. There have been many ups and downs, victories and defeats, but every match has taught me something. I am grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. At the same time, I don't want to look at 100 as the finish line. It motivates me to keep working harder and aim for many more achievements for India."
India’s Other Medal Winners
India continued its strong showing across categories, with several players finishing on the podium: -Shashank Kumar – Bronze, Men’s Singles WH1 -Shashank Kumar & Ammu Mohan – Bronze, Mixed Doubles WH1-WH2 -Deep Ranjan Bisoyee & Kuldeep Mahkul – Bronze, Men’s Doubles SL3-SU5 -Takar Biri & Harshit Choudhary – Bronze, Men’s Doubles SL3-SU5 -Abhijeet Sakhuja – Bronze, Men’s Singles SL4 -Chirag Baretha & Wei Ming Tay (Singapore) – Gold, Men’s Doubles SU5.
(ANI)