Last Updated:June 18, 2025, 10:02 IST

Krishna Nagar, a star para-shuttler, shares his journey, excitement for his first Asian Championships and handling pressure after his Tokyo Paralympics gold.

Rajasthan’s star para-shuttler Krishna Nagar first grabbed eyeballs when he won bronze at the Asian Para Games in Jakarta. Playing in the SH6 (for shuttlers who have a short stature) category, he is currently ranked No. 3 in the world and is coming off a semifinal finish at the Bahrain International last month.

A gold medallist at the Tokyo Paralympics, Krishna couldn’t win any of his group-stage matches at Paris and didn’t qualify for the quarters. Having taken a lengthy break after that, he returned to competition in March and has put up a good show till now and is gearing up for a maiden appearance at the Asian Championships.

Krishna spoke to News18 Sports about his probable competitions, the disappointment of Paris and why he likes to play it safe in the biggest moments.

Excerpts:

This is your first time at the Asian Championships. How excited are you?

Yes, I am very excited. I am looking forward to playing in my best form.

Sukant Kadam has said that despite being one of the top-ranked players in his category, he isn’t taking pressure but seeing it as a responsibility to perform at the Asian Championships. What is your take on it?

Yes, I have the same opinion. We have a lot of responsibility. If we continue to maintain this world rank and if we participate in such big tournaments and continue to maintain it, we will be able to take the responsibility. If we take it as pressure, we will not be able to play well.

How do you map your competition in the tournament? Who do you think can be a big threat?

I think most of them are my competitors. There is a player from Hong Kong, Man Kai Chu, who will be a good competitor, and I think all the players in my category have been very competitive. In my category, I think all the Asian countries are the same. I think competition is much better nowadays.

Has the pressure to perform increased after the gold in the Tokyo Paralympics?

Yes definitely. Like in Paris, my performance wasn’t up to the mark and that was very disappointing for me. I didn’t play any tournaments since the end of Paris till this March in Spain, where I finished as a semifinalist. My performance in Paris wasn’t as good as it should have been. But yes, we have to get on with it. If I get another chance, I will try again and perform better.

Suppose you are playing a big match, a knockout probably, and it has gone into a decider. How will you handle yourself and your game in such situations?

I think in such situations, it is crucial to play it safe and not take a lot of risks. Because those are tough and significant circumstances and risks can lead to problems. The more you play it safe, the better it is for you.

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