A 2007 batch IAS officer Suhas LY, who has served as District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar, UP, has won a gold medal in Thailand’s Para-Badminton International Championship.
Mr. Suhas was in tremendous form throughout the tournament. He played a total of seven matches. In his golden journey, Suhas defeated players from Indonesia, France, South Korea, and also his compatriots.
In the finals, Mr. Suhas defeated compatriot Sukant Kadam 21-14, 17-21, 21-14 in a nailbiter.
“Proud to win Gold Medal 🥇 after winning finals on Sunday 14th May, in Thailand Open 2023, being held in Pattaya, Thailand. Won 7 straight matches against players including Indonesia, South Korea, France, and fellow Indian players of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Jai hind.” Mr Suhas posted on his social media handle.
After winning the gold medal, Suhas told the media, “I never saw myself with the impairment and I owe this mindset to my parents. I was not given any special treatment since the beginning. My parents made me play with schoolmates and allowed me to participate in inter-school races which many parents of special needs children didn’t. I also think that like most good things, stigma too begins at home. All the strength to lead a proper life begins at home.”
“I played badminton at the school level and it was my favourite pastime in the civil services academy. Some of my colleagues lauded me for the way I played and suggested that I should take it up professionally. My wife Ritu also thought the same, so I went ahead. My interest started in 2012, the deformity in my ankle forced me to play sports more and stay more active.” he added.
Mr Suhas has made the country proud many times before. He won the bronze medal in the Badminton Championship held in Spain.
A Computer Engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Suratkal, Karnataka, Mr. Suhas was posted as the district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.
