Who is Pramod Bhagat?

India and the rest of the world took note as Para badminton star Pramod Bhagat won the silver medal in men’s singles SL3 at the 4 Nations Para Badminton International in Dublin, Ireland on July 17. The 34-year-old has been one of India’s best performers at the world stage for quite some time now, and his recent performance will only boost his credentials to the sporting community.

The Indian star has been recipient to multiple national awards and was one of India’s brightest talents at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. However, he remains considerably hidden to public knowledge, a fact that has somehow helped him to perform consistently without added pressure. However, let us take a look at who he is.

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Born on June 4, 1988, in Hajipur, Bihar, Bhagat was only five when he developed polio. It affected the functions of his left leg, however, Bhagat did not let it affect his ambitions. Bhagat became astounded with the game of badminton during his teens, and began playing it since then. He played in his first competition when he was 15 years old against non-Para category players, winning praises from the spectators.

He has since then gone strength to strength, winning gold medals in multiple sporting events including the World Championships, IWAS World Games, Asian Para Games and the Tokyo Paralympics. Bhagat is also the world no.1 in Para badminton men’s singles SL3 category, and has received praises from the pundits and spectators alike. He has won 47 international medals in his career so far, including 24 gold medals.

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His performance at the Tokyo Paralympics were specially praiseworthy, where he won the gold medal by defeating Daniel Bethell 21-14, 21-17 in the men’s singles SL3 event.

Bhagat’s achievements was noted and subsequently rewarded by the Government of India, when he was awarded the Arjuna Award (2019), Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (2021) and the Padma Shri Award (2022).