Para-Athletes Will Win More Medals In Future, Says Paralympic Gold Medallist Pramod Bhagat

Indian shuttler Pramod Bhagat, who clinched gold in the Tokyo Paralympics, said the athletes will keep on the winning more medals in upcoming tournaments. Pramod Bhagat along with 11 other athletes will be given Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on Saturday. "I'm receiving Khel Ratna Award this year. I feel good because the nation treated able-bodied and para-athletes equally. We won 19 medals in Paralympics, we'll win more medals in the time to come and keep bringing laurels to the nation," Pramod told ANI.

"When I went to Tokyo I was Pramod Bhagat but when I came back my state gave me a name 'Golden Promod Bhagat'. Central and state government supported me and provided me all the facilities during the COVID-19 times to train for the game," he added.

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award will be given to 12 sportspersons including Neeraj Chopra (Athletics), Ravi Kumar (Wrestling), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), Sreejesh PR (Hockey), Avani Lekhara (Para Shooting), Sumit Antil (Para Athletics), Pramod Bhagat (Para Badminton), Krishna Nagar (Para Badminton), Manish Narwal (Para Shooting), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Sunil Chhetri (Football), and Manpreet Singh (Hockey).

All men's Hockey India team who won the historic bronze medal in Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been awarded Arjun Award with the exceptions of PR Sreejesh and Manpreet Singh.

Coming back to Pramod, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Thursday revealed the nominees for the BWF Player of the Year Awards 2020/2021.

Pramod has been nominated in the Male Para-Badminton Player of the Year category and the Para-Badminton Pair of the Year category alongside Manoj Sarkar.