GB Nagar DM to play for gold glory at Tokyo Paralympics

As soon as he got back from the stadium after making it to the finals of the men’s singles class SL4 badminton event at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday, district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar and Indian shuttler Suhas LY called up his wife with a victory roar

As soon as he got back from the stadium after making it to the finals of the men’s singles class SL4 badminton event at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday, district magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar and Indian shuttler Suhas LY called up his wife with a victory roar.

HT Image

Ritu Suhas, the DM’s wife, said that the world number 3 ranker screamed at the top of his lungs over a video call as he could not control his excitement of having secured a medal for India at the games.

Suhas LY, who has been in action at the Tokyo Paralympics since September 2, conveniently sailed through his first two matches in the badminton group play, securing a position in the semifinals. On Saturday, he defeated Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan by 21-9 21-15 during the semifinals, securing a medal for India. Now, the 38-year-old has set his sights on gold as he faces France’s top seed Lucas Mazur in the finals on Sunday. Even if Suhas loses the match, he will still bring home a silver medal.

“I never watch any of Suhas’s matches live as it makes me very nervous. Today was very special as he secured a medal for India which has always been his dream,” said Ritu.

Speaking to HT about her husband’s performance at the Paralympics, Ritu said it is the result of the sacrifices and struggles that her family has made in the last six years.

“It has been Suhas’s dream, since the past six years, to represent India at the Paralympics. All the tournaments and championships he has played so far have been so that he could get selected for the global event,” said Ritu, who also holds the title of Mrs India 2019.

Last year, when the outbreak of Covid-19 postponed the Games that were supposed to be held in 2020, Suhas, the 2007-batch IAS officer, felt that he has lost his chance, said Ritu.

“Suhas had taken a six-month long leave from his administrative work in 2019 to train himself for the 2020 Paralympics and when they were postponed, he was very disheartened. Then he was given the charge of Gautam Budh Nagar district, where he discharged his duties with sincerity. When he got the chance to represent India at the Paralympics this year, he gave his all to get selected,” said Ritu.

The couple has a six-year-old son and an eleven-year-old daughter. “Suhas used to go for his trainings late at night after wrapping work. Juggling in the two fronts affected our children as it meant they had to sacrifice their time with him. My son does not sleep without meeting his father and keeps asking when will he be back home,” she said.

Narrating an incident, Ritu said once she was involved in a car accident in Lucknow but did not inform her husband about it as she did not want to disturb him during his training.

“When he left for Tokyo, we did not discuss anything about what medal he will bring back. Badminton is his passion and we did not want to put any stress on him. However, I am proud of all that he has achieved for himself,” she said.

Residents in Gautam Budh Nagar are also cheering for the DM ahead of his match on Sunday.

“Residents’ whatsapp groups are buzzing with cheers for Suhas LY’s match on Sunday and the residents feel very proud of the district magistrate. As he has already secured a medal, our federation is organizing a felicitation event for him on September 19. No matter which medal he brings home, he has made the whole district very proud of him,” said Rajiva Singh, president of Noida Federation of Apartment Owner’s Association (NOFAA).

At the DM’s camp office in Noida, officials are excited to watch the finals on Sunday. “The DM is an inspiration to not just the people of GB Nagar but the whole country. We are excited to watch his match on Sunday and will cheer him on,” said Vandita Srivastava, additional district magistrate (finance), GB Nagar.