IAS Suhas Yathiraj has yet again secured a coveted accolade to his name by securing his second silver medal in the Paris Paralympics by reaching the final of the badminton men’s singles SL4 category, where he faced off against France’s Lucas Mazur. Almost like an eerie coincidence, Mazur got the better of IAS Yathiraj in a Paralympic final for the second time in three years, pulling off a comfortable victory in straight games (21-9, 21-13)!
Officer Yathiraj’s medal was the second silver medal for the Indian badminton contingent at the Paris Paralympics, with Thulasimathi Murugesan (women’s singles SU5) also losing her gold medal match earlier. It is pertinent to mention that India ended the tournament with as many as five medals in badminton (the country’s biggest haul in the sport at the Paralympics to date), with Nitesh Kumar (men’s singles SL3) winning gold, and Manisha Ramadass (women’s singles SU5) and Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan (women’s singles SH6) winning bronze.
Who is IAS Suhas Yathiraj?
Mr. Yathiraj (2007-batch IAS officer) is a Computer Engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Suratkal, Karnataka, and has served as the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Aazamgarh in UP. He hails from Karnataka and was born to the late Yathiraj L K and Jayashree C S in Hassan, Karnataka.
Officer Yathiraj’s ambitions in sports were curtailed when he was identified with a congenital deformity in his left ankle since birth that significantly affected his mobility. However, Officer Suhas has always displayed remarkable determination and resilience to overcome the challenges posed by the deformity. Mr. Suhas is currently posted in the Sports Department of Uttar Pradesh as Secretary and is India’s first IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics.
