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Paralympics: Prez, PM congratulate Noida DM Suhas LY on historic silver
PM Modi said the 38-year-old Noida district magistrate “has captured the imagination of our entire nation thanks to his exceptional sporting performance”.
Top leaders of the country extended their wishes to India's Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj as he bagged a historic silver after going down fighting against top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the men's singles SL4 class final at the Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 38-year-old Noida district magistrate, who has an impairment in one of his ankles, “has captured the imagination of our entire nation thanks to his exceptional sporting performance”. Calling him a fantastic confluence of sports and service, Modi wished Yathiraj the best for his future endeavours.
President Ram Nath Kovind said Yathiraj’s dedication in pursuing sports while discharging duties as a civil servant is exceptional.
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“Congratulations to Suhas Yathiraj who gave a tough fight to world 1 and won silver medal in badminton at Paralympics. Your dedication in pursuing sports while discharging duties as a civil servant is exceptional. Best wishes for a future full of accomplishments,” the President wrote on Twitter.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also congratulated him. “On earlier occasions too he won many medals. Along with efficiently discharging his administrative duties, he has been successful in Paralympics,” Adityanath said.
The Noida DM produced an entertaining performance before narrowly going down 21-15 17-21 15-21 to two-time world champion Mazur in a 62-minute summit clash.
Suhas had lost to Mazur, who has won three gold medals in European Championships as well, in the qualifying group A match, but the Indian made a tremendous effort in the final to challenge his world No. 1 rival.
The district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida) thus also became the first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics.
Suhas had earlier outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in the semifinal.
A computer engineer, Suhas went on to become an IAS officer and has been posted as a district magistrate of Noida since 2020, a role that saw him at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus pandemic.
On court, he has won gold medals at 2017 BWF Turkish Para badminton championship in men's singles and men's doubles. He also won gold in 2016 Asia championships, besides a bronze at 2018 Asian Para Games.
More medals are in store for India as Krishna Nagar also sailed into the men's singles SH6 class final.
Pramod Bhagat, 33, and his partner Palak Kohli, 19, will meet Japanese pair of Daisuke Fujihara and Akiko Sugino in the bronze medal play off in mixed doubles SL3-SU5 class later on Sunday.
They lost the semifinals 3-21 15-21 to Indonesian combination of Hary Susanto and Leani Ratri Oktila.
Bhagat on Saturday had claimed India's first gold at the Paralympics in men's singles SL3 class.
(With agency inputs)
