Nitesh and Naveen win gold medals at Asian Games badminton

Gold Medals Secured in Nagoya Singles Matches

Nitesh delivered a clinical performance to defeat compatriot Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in a matchup between two Paralympic gold medallists, as reported by DD News. Nitesh reflected on the victory by noting his previous close encounter when he held a 19-16 lead in the third set before losing, making a straight-sets triumph over Bhagat particularly unique. Very happy to win the Asian Games gold medal, said Nitesh, the Paris Paralympic gold medallist. So this time, winning it and again winning in two sets against Pramod is, of course, very special, and I think it’s one of the rarest of the rare things to see,

Making his debut at the Games, Naveen followed with a dominant showing against Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan, winning 21-9, 21-17 in 36 minutes to secure the top prize in the SL4 division. I am feeling very happy and proud. Actually, this was the moment I have been waiting for 3-4 months, he said. Naveen built on a strong international run that included gold at the Uganda Para Badminton International in 2022, silver at the 2026 BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Bahrain, and silver at the French Para Badminton International in June 2026. He remarked that he treated his opponents like any normal tournament matchup to keep nerves at bay, aiming for major titles across the World Championships, Asian Games, and Olympics. It was my first Asian games, but I had met all my opponents in previous tournaments. So I prepared myself like, it was a normal tournament, I should not be in pressure, he said, adding, My goals was I should achieve every major tournaments title, like World Championship, Asian games, and Olympics. This is my first achievement … I want to achieve success in World Championship and Olympics as well.

Bhagat and Murugesan Settle for Silver Finishes

Pramod Bhagat, who won gold in the 2018 and 2022 editions of the tournament, was forced to settle for silver after his loss to Nitesh.

Despite the singles setback, Murugesan remained alive in the tournament for two additional gold medals. She is scheduled to partner Nitesh in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 final against Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani, and will later team up with Manasi Girishchandra Joshi to face China’s Yang Qiuxia and Xiao Zuxian in the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 final. In another final, India’s Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan claimed silver after dropping the women’s singles SH6 match 12-21, 13-21 to China’s Li Fengmei.

Classification Standards in Para Badminton

The competition categories reflect distinct functional impairments under international para badminton rules. SL3 classification applies to players with significant lower-limb impairments who compete on a half court, while SL4 is designated for athletes with lower-limb impairments who possess better walking and running balance. The SU5 category covers players with upper-limb impairments, and SH6 accommodates athletes with short stature.

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