Para legend Pramod Bhagat matches able-bodied icon Lin Dan’s count of 5 World championships; defeats arch rival Bethell 14-21, 21-15, 21-14 at Thailand

Krishna Nagar and Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj claim World titles in SL4 and SH6, respectively.

3 min readUpdated: Feb 26, 2024 07:33 AM IST

Para legend Pramod Bhagat will miss the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. (File)

Pramod Bhagat rallied from a set down to win a mammoth 100 minute battle against Englishman Daniel Bethell 14-21, 21-15, 21-14 at the Para World Championships in Thailand.

The para legend, in the process, equalled Lin Dan’s mark of 5 World titles amongst able-bodied champs, and became the first para shuttler to secure 3 consecutive wins, in SL3 category with the longest para Worlds final.

The versatile Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj picked his first World title in SL4, with a straight sets 21-18, 21-18 win over Indonesian Fredy Setiawan.

In SH6 category, the pugnacious Krishna Nagar got the day’s finest win over Chinese Lin Naili, taking the title 22-20, 22-20, his fourth Worlds medal, and a precious gold.

India’s 35-year-old para-hero in the SL3 category over the last 8 losses spanning Spain, Bahrain, Canada and Thailand, has realised just how challenging it is going to get against Bethell who’s thirsting for a Para Games gold medal that Bhagat won. (BWF Badminton)

India finished with 3 gold, 4 silver and 11 bronze, a total of 18 medals across categories.

‘Toughest physically and mentally’

Bhagat, the Odiya shuttler who also won 2 bronze in men’s Doubles with Sukant Kadam and mixed doubles with Manisha Ramadass, took his career tally to 14 World Championship medals, which includes 6 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze in all categories.

The 35-year-old completed a winning span of 15 years of gold medals, won in 2009, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2024.

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Also Read | Can Pramod Bhagat win a hat-trick of para World championship titles? There’s Englishman Daniel Bethell out to stop him

Bhagat had lost to Bethell 8 of the last 9 times, and there were questions over whether his global domination of big events was coming to a close. “I have managed to equal my idol Lin Dan’s record of 5 world championships and second being having been able to retain 3 consecutive world championships,” he said.

“This match with Bethell would be my toughest both mentally and physically. I have not been playing well against Bethell past few months and this was my time to prove doubters wrong. The match was exhaustive and Bethell played brilliantly but somehow, I managed to pull out a win,” he described.

Bhagat started the match strongly with early flurry of points, but the southpaw Englishman made a commendable comeback to take the opener 21-14. Both finalists defended stubbornly as rallies got longer. Bethell’s chest-level smashes had been troubling Bhagat in the past few matches, but he used his backhand deception on straight pushes expertly to push back the Englishman. Drawing out errors he levelled the set score for 21-15.

Bhagat varied his pace significantly in the third, and stole a lead over Bethell in the decider and got a tight net dribble winner to claim the match.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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