Born in Rajasthan, Nitesh Kumar is an IIT graduate and currently lives in Haryana. A train accident in 2009 had him lose his leg and left him bed-ridden for months. His tryst with the sport began during his days at IIT Mandi, when he got inspired by the para-shuttler Pramod Bhagat. Interestingly, Nitesh got to share the podium at the 2022 BWF Para-World Championships with Bhagat, as the former clinched bronze and the latter took gold.

Nitesh continued his rich vein of form, entering the Paris Games with multiple Worlds medals and three medals at last year’s Para Asian Games in Hangzhou. These included a gold in men’s doubles, silver in singles, and a bronze in mixed doubles. At Paris in 2024, Nitesh stood at the top of the world with a gold medal at the Paralympics.