Badminton, Paralympics 2024: Manoj Sarkar looks to upgrade Tokyo bronze in Paris
Manoj Sarkar will lead the Indian challenge in men’s singles SL3 in absence of reigning champion Pramod Bhagat.
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Manoj Sarkar has a simple philosophy. When he goes out on court, he likes to have a clear mind. Leave everything behind and focus on the job in hand.
“Before you go to play, leave everything to the umpire,” said Sarkar in a conversation with Scroll. “My job is to just play. I just go out and play. It is up to the umpire to decide who the winner is.
“When you go out to win, you fear losing. This fear defeats you. So you don’t go out to win or lose. You just go out to play your best. If you are the better player, you’ll win.”
It is this exact mindset which helped Sarkar win a bronze medal in badminton men’s singles SL3 at the delayed Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Having lost to eventual silver medallist David Bethell in the semi-finals, the Indian then went on to beat Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the bronze medal match to secure his spot on the podium.
As he eyes a second consecutive podium at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Sarkar said he often looks back on his exploits in Tokyo.
“I 100% think about that medal for motivation,” said Sarkar. “The reason for it is the colour of the medal being bronze. I get the motivation to change the...
