Suhas Yathiraj, the District Magistrate of Gautham Buddha Nagar (NOIDA) in Uttar Pradesh, wrote his story on Sunday after becoming the very first Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer to win a medal at the Paralympic Games. Facing world number one Lucas Mazur, Suhas fought in three well-contested matches in the SL4 men’s singles final in a match that lasted over an hour. Yathiraj stunned the French, the three-time world champion, in the first game and had practical advances in the second and third games, but Mazur is too experienced and too skillful and fought after one game to win 15-21, 21-17, 21-15
Congratulating Suhas Yathiraj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it on Sunday as a fantastic confluence of service and sport that captured the imagination of the whole nation. Prime Minister Modi tweeted: “A fantastic confluence of service and sport! @dmgbnagar Suhas Yathiraj has captured the imaginations of our entire nation with her outstanding athletic performance. Congratulations to him for winning the silver medal in badminton. Best wishes to him for his future endeavors. “
A fantastic confluence of service and sport! @dmgbnagar Suhas Yathiraj has captured the imagination of our entire nation with his outstanding athletic performance. Congratulations to him for winning the silver medal in badminton. Best wishes to him for his future endeavors. pic.twitter.com/bFM9707VhZ— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 5, 2021
President of India Ramnath Kovind also took to Twitter to congratulate Yathiraj.
Congratulations to Suhas Yathiraj who fought hard at the World # 1 and won silver in badminton at #Paralympic Games. Your dedication to playing sport while serving as a public servant is exceptional. Best wishes for a successful future.— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 5, 2021
As well as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, among others.
Another medal for India at badminton in Tokyo #Paralympic Games. Suhas Yathiraj exhibits a unique combination of consistency and courage. Congratulations to him for winning the silver medal. India is proud of its wonderful achievement. #Praise4Para— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 5, 2021
Money for Suhas Yathiraj! Exceptional performance of the IAS officer to almost surpass the world No. 1 in men’s singles in SL4 badminton. Illustrates the conviction of our para-athletes in #Tokyo2020 Paralympic Games. Many congratulations! #Praise4Para— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) September 5, 2021
The 38-year-old Noida District Magistrate, who suffered from a disability in one of his ankles, had trained mainly at night after work to prepare for the Paralympic Games.
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