By Sahil Kohli

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 17 (ANI): Indian Paralympics gold medalist para-shuttler Krishna Nagar spoke on his preparations for the Asian Para-Badminton Championship, saying that after failing to defend his title in the Paris Paralympics last year, he feels the extra motivation to make up for it.

Krishna spoke to ANI earlier last week. The tournament will kick off today in Thailand and run until June 22.

Speaking about missing out on a medal at Paris after his mid-match retirement due to an injury, he said, 'You can call it extra motivation or pressure, but I will make up for it. I will try my best. I am expecting a good performance (at Asian Championships).'

He also has a great level of expectations from the Indian contingent. More than 70 players from the country are taking part in this tournament.

'I think India will secure a lot of medals this time. There is open entry in the competition this time around as many players can participate. I think more than 70 players are participating from our country. More than 15 or 20 medals are possible for India,' he said.

Krishna is in a better mental state heading into the competition, but he battled sickness for a while.

'I was sick for 10-12 days. At the last tournament in Dubai, I was not feeling well. I had fever, weakness and food poisoning. The time frame between that tournament and the Asian Championships was shorter. It took me days to recover. I feel much fitter now. I can play better now. I hope I can give my best,' he added.

The Paralympian admitted learning a lot from able-bodied shuttlers and Olympians like PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen and acknowledged that the sport does not differentiate between able-bodied and Para-shuttlers. He also admitted that after success in the 2020 and 2024 Paralympics, Indian shuttlers have improved big time, and there is much better competition worldwide.

'We do not differentiate. We both are doing well at our respective levels. We learn a lot from PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, who have been playing longer than I have. Everyone is getting better in para-badminton, and there is much bigger competition. After 2021 (when the Tokyo Paralympics took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic), players have brought variations to their game. We need to give 10 times more because by the time the 2028 Paralympics arrive, the game will change a lot more by then,' he said.

In Tokyo, Indian para-shuttlers got four medals, including two gold, a silver and a bronze each. In 2024, the number increased to five, with a gold, two silver and bronze medals each.

Krishna admitted that the government and media have played a big role in uplifting Paralympians over the last few years.

'Everyone has had a big role to play. The government has played a big role. They took out TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) for able-bodied and differently-abled athletes. Things are made available at the right time. There is no differentiation. The media coverage has also played a big role in the world recognising me at this level. Sponsors have been very supportive. But still, the algorithm is favouring cricket a little too much. We do realise that we have come up watching and playing that game, but the popularity of other sports is not that much,' he concluded. (ANI)