New Delhi, June 12 World No. 2 ranked Indian para-shuttler Sukant Kadam is all geared up and eyeing silverware in the upcoming Badminton Asia Para-Badminton Championships, which gets underway in Mueang, Thailand from June 17.
The 32-year-old has covered all grounds and is ready to face the fierce challenge from Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan, who defeated Kadam to win the bronze medal in the men's singles SL4 event in the Paris Paralympics last year.
"The training was very good and I've prepared hard for the tournament. I'm playing to win the tournament, nothing less than that," Kadam told IANS on Thursday.
"In my category, I feel Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan is my toughest opponent, and I've never won against him. This time, I've prepared well for him, but other than him, Indian players are also good, including upcoming and experienced ones. The competition level is very high, but I'm prepared for it," he added.
Asked whether the World No.2 tag means extra responsibility for him, Kadam replied, "Of course, when you are higher ranked, you have the responsibility of justifying the rank. Being the World No. 2, I know that responsibility very well and I will play to fulfil that. I will not play keeping my rank in mind, I've prepared for the opponents and am very confident about the result."
He reflected on his goal for the ongoing season, which started with the Spanish Para-Badminton International - II title in Victoria, followed by a runners-up finish in the Spanish Para-Badminton International - I in Toledo and the Bahrain Para-Badminton International in Manama.
"My aim is to perform consistently and prepare myself well for big tournaments. I've not won a level 1 tournament so far, and my lowest aim is to win it this year," Kadam added.
Reflecting on his debut Paralympics campaign in Paris last year, the experienced para-shuttler said handling the pressure of big tournaments is the biggest learning for him, which he vowed to rectify in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
"It was my first Paralympics, so it was a proud moment for me to play at that level. My analysis was in big tournaments, you have to keep your confidence high and can't lose focus. Self-confidence and self-awareness are something I need to work on a lot. How to keep yourself calm and performance-oriented is something that I lacked in Paris, but I'm working on that these days.
"For the 2028 LA Paralympics, I'm going to give my all there, and my preparations started on the day after losing bronze in Paris. It was very difficult to digest the fourth position, but these are all learnings which will help me next time," Kadam said.
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