Mayank gole

Sukant Kadam: Indian para-shuttler Sukant Kadam is hoping for double the medals in badminton in the upcoming Paris Paralympics than Tokyo with better preparation and strong representation in the sport. Sukant will make his Paralympic debut in Paris after missing the chance by a whisker in Tokyo. He will represent the country in the men's singles SL4 category along with Tokyo silver medallists Suhas Yathiraj and Tarun Dhillon. The 13-member badminton squad is the second largest in the Indian contingent after athletics (38).

"Preparation went really well and the feeling is good. I'm not thinking much about my other aspects and I'm so happy to be in the best shape of my body. Excited for my debut in Paris Paralympics and definitely looking forward to it," Sukant told IANS on Friday.

Talking about his journey from missing the Tokyo berth to finally making his Paralympic debut, the 31-year-old remains optimistic about the opportunity and hopes for a better result in the quadrennial event. "Setbacks happen with athletes but the Tokyo was a bit personal as it was my debut for para-badminton and I badly wanted to make my Paralympic debut there, but I missed by one rank to qualify. It was a bit challenging for me to get back and let it go. I had a lot of self-doubt but my family, and coach Mayank Gole also guided me well to come out of that situation," he said.