Paris Paralympics: Shuttler Nitesh Kumar enters badminton final, assured of at least silver
Paris, Sep 1: Top-seeded Indian shuttler Nitesh Kumar secured a medal in men's singles SL3 category after a commanding straight-game win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the semifinals at the Paris Paralympics on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Nitesh, who overcame permanent leg damage from a 2009 accident, showed his dominance with a 21-16 21-12 win over Fujihara in a 48-minute semifinal.
The IIT Mandi graduate thus ensured that India return with a medal from the SL3 category, after Pramod Bhagat clinched the gold when para badminton made its debut three years ago in Tokyo.
SL3 class players, like Nitesh, compete with more severe lower limb disabilities, requiring play on a half-width court.
In the summit clash, Nitesh will face Great Britain's Daniel Bethell, who beat Thailand's Bunsun Mongkhon 21-7, 21-9 in the other semifinal.
Bethell, who was the runner-up to Pramod Bhagat in the Tokyo Paralympics, is a formidable opponent, setting the stage for an electrifying final on Monday.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
