(Badminton news) Prem Kumar Ale has had a meteoric rise in the field of Para Badminton, the former soldier plays in the wheelchair singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories. A few years ago, Prem’s pull ups video became a huge hit as it gave motivation to all the netizens. He has been playing Para Badminton for over 9 years and currently trains in Lucknow.
In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Prem Kumar Ale speaks about how he started playing Badminton, coaching tactics during his famous win at Basel, overcoming challenges and preparing for an action packed year.
Q1) When was the first time you played Badminton and who inspired you to become a professional?
The first time I played Badminton was in 2014 and my senior NB Gurung guided and told me to take up the sport as he was a former Olympian athlete himself.
Q2) How did you adapt to the big competitions since you turned professional within a year of playing?
Mr Gurung's words inspired me to take up the sport, after that I practiced for only 2 months and got the chance to play in the nationals where my category was wheelchair badminton 1. I not only performed well but won a Bronze medal in the singles category and that boosted my self belief as I got the confidence to pursue it as a profession.
Q3) After winning over 8 International and 21 national medals, what are some of the biggest lessons you have learnt on court?
The sport has taught me a lot of lessons. We need to bring a positive approach at every point of learning as it can help an athlete move forward. One also has to have patience when you are working towards a goal, it takes a lot of time and effort to be an International player.
For people who are new to Para Sports, i would like to say that it is difficult in the start but you can always focus on building your strengths. My coaches have stressed on the importance of physical fitness which always helps an athlete and keeping the mind away from negativity.
Q4) After coming from a game down, how did you defeat top seed Thomas Wandschneider in the world championships in Basel three years ago?
I had two things in mind coming into the court at the Basel World Championships. First one was to give my best and to make my coach proud. I knew that Thomas Wandschneider was a higher ranked and much stronger opponent; but my coach told me to keep rallying instead of trying to finish the points quickly and avoid unforced errors. I kept rallying and it finally wore him out at the end of the match.
Q5) What are some of the challenges that you have been facing and how do you overcome them?
Challenges will occur every now and then whether it's related to tournaments or disability. At times, I feel unlucky about my disability and start thinking about what would be if I was able. There are people who have overcome many more struggles than I have which gives me the faith to keep moving forward. I feel grateful about things which I have and try to be positive.
Q6) What are your future plans and how do you intend to achieve them?
We have the World Championship and Asian Games this year for which we are currently practicing at GKBA Academy under the guidance of Gaurav Khanna. My main target is to play in the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
