Tokyo: Pramod Bhagat created history in Tokyo when he won India’s first badminton gold at the Paralympics on Saturday. The Odisha lad defeated Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell 21-14, 21-17 win in the men’s singles SL3 category in 45 minutes to etch his name into history books.
Compatriot Manoj Sarkar, who lost to Bethell in the semifinals, doubled India’s joy by winning bronze in the same category. Bhagat took the first game easily but the Brit found a nice rhythm at the start of the second game to take a 12-4 lead.
At that point, many thought the tie would go into the third game but Bhagat stuck in there and showed his class to complete a historical victory. On the other hand, Sarkar defeated Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara. The 31-year-old won in straight games, sealing a 22-20, 21-13 win in 47 minutes.
