Winning Gold is my Focus says Pramod Bhagat After Qualifying for Tokyo Paralympics

Bhubaneswar: World number one ace shuttler Pramod Bhagat from Odisha has qualified for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic to be held from August 25 to September 5, 2021.

Along with Bhagat, two other players Tarun Tarun and Krishna Nagar have also qualified for the Paralympics.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) in a letter to the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has confirmed the qualification of the three players in the Paralympic. 

Pramod who recently won two gold and a bronze medal at the Dubai Para Tournament was overwhelmed after receiving the invitation letter from Badminton World Federation. “It’s a dream of every athlete to participate in the Olympics and I am really excited to play in such a big event,” he said.

Pramod who has been training for the Paralympic at Gaurav Khanna Excellia Badminton Academy, Lucknow said, “The only aim is to win gold for the country. I am focusing on my training to achieve my goal.”

Speaking about the big event amidst the pandemic, he said, “This year the Olympics would bring a different experience with Covid guidelines and staying in quarantine. Physically we are all prepared but we have to prepare ourselves mentally as well to deal with the situation.”

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated Bhagat on qualifying for the Paralympics. He tweeted, “Congratulate #Odisha‘s ace shuttler @PramodBhagat83 for qualifying to participate in the #Tokyo Paralympics, to be held between 24 August and 5 September. May he bring laurels for the country. Wish him all the very best.”

A few more players are likely to be selected for the Paralympic. The final qualification list would come on July 16.