India’s Krishna Nagar digs deep to win badminton gold at Tokyo Paralympics
Krishna Nagar beat Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai in a hard-fought match to win India’s second gold medal in badminton at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Indian badminton player Krishna Nagar won the gold medal in the men’s singles SH6 class at the Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday.
Krishna Nagar, the world No. 2 para shuttler, beat Chu Man Kai of Hong Kong 21-17, 16-21, 21-17 in the final.
Having not dropped a single game heading into the gold medal match, Krishna Nagar was a firm favourite for the title at the Yoyogi National Stadium. But Chu Man Kai put up a valiant fight before bowing out.
Krishna Nagar and Chu Man Kai began on a confident note and exchanged some exciting rallies.
Though the Hong Kong shuttler managed a slender 11-10 lead at the break, Krishan Nagar, known for his ability to rescue himself from dire situations, fought back to win the opening game in just under 15 minutes.
The Indian badminton player trailed 11-16 at one stage and then found himself struggling at 15-17. But six back-to-back points from there on helped him close the first game.
The second game was a contrast to the opener as Krishna Nagar struggled with his serves and paid the price. Some poor judgements on the line didn’t help Krishna Nagar’s cause either as the 22-year-old Indian badminton player allowed his opponent a way back into the contest.
In the decider, Chu Man Kai opened up a 11-7 lead with some quality badminton but Krishna Nagar hit back with five straight points to close the deficit. The Indian kicked on from there to win the game and with it, the match.
Krishna Nagar’s win saw India clinch its fifth gold medal at Tokyo 2020. The Indian contingent has a total of 19 medals at the Para Games.