Nitesh Kumar and Virat Kohli. | (Credits: Twitter)
An English commentator had reminded the viewers of Indian para-shuttler Nitesh Kumar’s inspiration or role model during the Gold Medal contest against Great Britain’s D.el Bethell on Monday in Paris 2024 Paralympics. In a video surfaced on social media, the commentator could be seen describing Kohli as a wonderful Indian cricketer and how most youngsters look up to him as inspiration.
Kohli has been the backbone of Team India’s batting and has been one of their biggest match-winners of the decade gone by. The Delhi-born cricketer has also left an indelible mark on the sport and has earned the respect of the cricketing fraternity worldwide through his sportsmanship.
“Nitesh has a couple of World Championships, a silver medal, a gold from the Asian Para Games. His hero, he says, is Virat Kohli, wonderful Indian cricketer, who captained the national side. I think most people in India have Virat Kohli as their sporting hero.
The 29-year-old had told PTI:
“I also admire Virat Kohli because the way he has converted himself into a fit athlete — like how he used to be before 2013 — and how he is now so fit and so disciplined.”
“Now I can feel that I have done something for the country” – Nitesh Kumar
After clinching his first Paralympics gold, Nitesh recalled how proud a moment it was to see the national flag going up and the anthem playing in the background.
“I had a quick call with my parents, and I could see tears in their eyes. They were hardly speaking anything. Now I can feel that I have done something for the country. When our national anthem started, and the Indian flag went up, I got goosebumps. I feel amazingly proud of myself.”
