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Pramod Bhagat and the art of not giving up: How former Paralympics champion shuttler bounced back from anti-doping ban

After missing the Paris Paralympics as he was serving suspension, Bhagat is now back in the top 5 of singles in para badminton's SL-3 category.

4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Nov 17, 2025 09:44 PM IST

File image of Indian para badminton player Pramod Bhagat. (Special arrangement)

Thinking like a pugilist is something four-time para badminton world champion Pramod Bhagat had taught himself to learn. Like a prizefighter of yore, Bhagat reckoned that no matter how shockingly success had slid from his grasp, opponents couldn’t be allowed to think they could defeat him easily when he resurfaced after serving a whereabouts-related anti-doping ban.

“I fought in the final at China, my first tournament on return, for 2 hours 10 minutes. I needed that title immediately because I couldn’t let other players think my domination was finished after being away for 1.5 years,” he said. After missing the Paris Paralympics as he was serving suspension, Bhagat is now back in the top 5 of singles in para badminton’s SL-3 category.

It wasn’t ‘aham’ (ego) as some might think it to be. But a large part of the Odia shuttler’s success has been based on maintaining that mental grip over opponents who know he simply won’t give up — not in a rally, not a match, a title, or his career. Afflicted by polio after a botched medical dose, Bhagat has endured far more dire pronouncements than throwaway obit lines of his game. On the court, like a boxer, he needed to regain his place under the sun. “As reassurance, and motivation,” he says.

In March of 2024, Bhagat was banned under a ‘whereabouts’ suspension, and he maintains it had been an electronic error where he filed his location details for dope testing, but it failed to upload. The Tokyo Paralympics gold medallist would not defend his crown, and took the punch to the gut.

“It’s been a challenging year and a half,” he says, calling it a ‘bada sadma’. Huge jolt. “It was a hard punishment for no mistake, and a struggle to miss the Paris Paralympics. But finally you have to accept and move forward,” he said.

File image of Indian para badminton player Pramod Bhagat. (Special arrangement)

The comeback implied charging back from oblivion, and playing circuit tournaments in China, Nigeria and Australia back to back, followed by Indonesia and Japan. The gap between two meets was often just 2 or 3 days, as he set about climbing rankings, collecting 10 gold medals, playing in all categories – singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. Bhagat has reclaimed his doubles No 1 ranking, but is World No 5 in singles.

Playing back to back took a toll. “The thought process was good, but the muscle pain got unbearable, because I was desperate that I have to crack the top 5,” he says.

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Like happens in para sport with tech advancements, the world leapt ahead. “I was behind the rest of the world, strokes had changed, others were playing new, new techniques,” he says, explaining why it took him 130 long minutes to nail down the China title. (World record is 2 hrs 20 minutes, while the longest match Bhagat had played was 100 minutes).

India’s Pramod Bhagat poses with his three medals won at the Japan Para Badminton International 2025. (PHOTO: Pramod Bhagat via X)

“You learn to be humble when you fight back from the backmost row. I literally had to get reacquainted with techniques, training and playing styles,” he says.

In para-sport, everybody struggles, which in turn means no struggle is deemed exceptional. “Now I’ve made a team and we have put an alarm for 10 O’clock daily to ensure we fill out the whereabouts forms without fail. No excuses. It was a shock to my family too, and I paid a heavy price,” he says.

It’s back to badminton goals. “My all time idol is Lin Dan. He had 5 World Championships. I am on 5 (2009, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2024) too, and want to reach 6th and go past him in para. It won’t be easy at all. But I must fight,” he says, adding he owes himself that much.

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