Nitesh Kumar and Naveen Sivakumar Win Para-Badminton Gold

Indian para-badminton players Nitesh Kumar and Naveen Sivakumar reportedly won men’s singles gold medals at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, on 23 October 2026.

Kumar defeated fellow Indian player Pramod Bhagat in the SL3 final, winning 21–18, 21–16. Sivakumar beat Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan in the SL4 final, winning 21–9, 21–17.

Key Highlights

• Nitesh Kumar: Men’s singles SL3 gold medal.
• Naveen Sivakumar: Men’s singles SL4 gold medal.
• Pramod Bhagat: Silver medal in the reported SL3 final.
• Thulasimathi Murugesan: Women’s singles SU5 silver medal, according to the supplied report.
• Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan: Women’s singles SH6 silver medal, according to the supplied report.
• Host location: Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
• Date of reported results: 23 October 2026.

Para-Badminton Classification System

Para-badminton uses six sport classes based on athletes’ impairments and their effect on movement and play.

Class	Category	Important fact
WH1	Wheelchair	Wheelchair sport class
WH2	Wheelchair	Wheelchair sport class
SL3	Standing; lower-limb impairment	Players compete on half a standard court
SL4	Standing; lower-limb impairment	Players compete on a full court
SU5	Upper-limb impairment	A separate sport class
SH6	Short stature	A separate sport class

Remember: SL3 and SL4 are standing classes. WH1 and WH2 are wheelchair classes. SU5 and SH6 are separate categories, not subdivisions of SL.

About the Asian Para Games

The Asian Para Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities from across Asia. It is organised by the Asian Paralympic Committee.

The 2026 edition is being held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, according to the supplied report. Para-badminton made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which were held in 2021.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) governs international badminton.

India’s Reported Medal Tally

As of 23 October 2026, India’s reported tally was 98 medals, comprising 24 gold, 32 silver and 42 bronze. India was reported to be fourth in the overall standings.

Medal	Count
Gold	24
Silver	32
Bronze	42
Total	98