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Ludhiana paddler pockets national para gold
Shubham Wadhwa defeated a paddler from Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals, from Gujarat in the semifinals and Rajasthan in the final to claim the top spot in a tournament featuring 18 talented players from across the country
City-based Shubham Wadhwa, a 28-year-old para table tennis player, has once again proved his mettle by winning gold in the men’s singles class-3 category at the UTT Para Table Tennis National Ranking Championship in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, held from November 26-28.
Wadhwa displayed exceptional skill, dominating every match with clean 3-0 victories. He defeated a paddler from Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals, from Gujarat in the semifinals and Rajasthan in the final to claim the top spot in a tournament featuring 18 talented players from across the country.
A computer science engineering student at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Wadhwa trains at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Despite his growing list of accolades, support from the state government remains absent.
“The Act Humane Foundation has been my backbone, funding my equipment and travel. Competing at this level would have been impossible without their help,” Wadhwa said, highlighting the lack of recognition and rewardsfrom the state for his achievements.
The year 2024 has been remarkable for Wadhwa. He won three gold medals in March at the UTT Para Table Tennis National Championship, bagged gold in mixed doubles at the ITTF Fa40 Thailand Para Open in July, and clinched another gold at the Khelo India Para Games last December. He also added two silver medals in singles and doubles at the Uganda Para-Badminton International to his tally.
Wadhwa’s journey began after a spinal injury from a road accident in 2016, which left him temporarily paralysed.
Exploring sports during his recovery, he found his passion in table tennis and claimed his first national-level gold in 2022. Beyond his sporting achievements, Wadhwa has been a voice for change, serving as a person with disabilities (PWD) district icon to promote voting rights among PWD voters during the Lok Sabha elections.
Looking ahead, Wadhwa is preparing for another national championship in February 2025, and international tournaments in Italy and Spain in March next year.
