NEW DELHI: Suhas Yathiraj, a silver medalist from the Tokyo Games, is set to become the first Indian shuttler to win back-to-back medals at the
Paralympics
.
On Sunday, he played against fellow Indian Sukant Kadam, defeating him in straight games to secure a spot in the men's singles SL4 final at the Paris Paralympics.
Suhas, aged 41 and a 2007 batch IAS officer, triumphed over Sukant 21-17, 21-12.
His impressive performance earned him a place in yet another Olympic final.
Suhas notably served as the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar during the COVID-19 pandemic and has also held the position of DM of Prayagraj.
Suhas's upcoming final is against France's Lucas Mazur, the same opponent who defeated him in the Tokyo Paralympics final three years ago.
Sukant will now compete for the bronze medal.
A computer engineer-turned-IAS officer, Suhas has never allowed his ankle impairment to interfere with his passion for badminton.
Currently, he is the Secretary and Director-General of Youth Welfare and Prantiya Rakshak Dal under the Uttar Pradesh government.
Suhas's journey from administration to the badminton court demonstrates his exceptional perseverance. His success keeps India's gold medal hopes alive alongside Nitesh Kumar (SL3) in the Paris Paralympics.
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