KIPG 2025: Wheelchair-bound Shuttler Aims for Paralympics Glory
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Synopsis
Prem Kumar Ale, a wheelchair-bound para-badminton player from India, aims to compete in the 2028 Paralympics. He will debut at the Khelo India Para Games 2025, showcasing his skills in men's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories. Despite facing significant challenges, he has emerged as a strong contender in para sports.
Key Takeaways
- Prem Kumar Ale is a prominent para-badminton player in India.
- He aims to compete in the 2028 Paralympics.
- Ale is currently ranked World No. 13 in wheelchair badminton.
- He has won multiple medals at international competitions.
- The Khelo India Para Games will mark his debut in 2025.
New Delhi, March 22 (NationPress) The spotlight is now on India's para-shuttlers, especially after their remarkable achievements in the Paralympics since Tokyo 2020. While Indian athletes have excelled in various categories such as SL3, SL6, SU5, etc., focusing on players with upper or lower body impairments, the wheelchair category has seen limited representation.
World No. 13 para-badminton player Prem Kumar Ale, who suffered a spinal cord injury in 2009, is striving to change this by aspiring to represent India in this category at the 2028 Paralympic Games and clinch medals.
Prem Kumar is gearing up for his debut at the Khelo India Para Games, where he will compete in men’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories in New Delhi.
Ale, currently India's top para wheelchair badminton player, exemplifies how India’s soldiers embody strength and resilience, regardless of their active duty status.
After joining the Indian Army in 2005, Ale faced a life-altering accident in 2009 that confined him to a wheelchair. However, he did not let this setback crush his spirit. He embraced a new life as a para-badminton player, achieving numerous accolades at both national and international levels.
At the Khelo India Para Games 2025, the 37-year-old will compete in Men's Singles WH1, Men's Doubles WH1-WH2, and Mixed Doubles WH1-WH2 categories. Currently ranked World No. 13, Ale was once World No. 9 in singles in 2022 and has earned 10 gold, 11 silver, and 10 bronze medals internationally.
He reached the quarterfinals in the last Para Badminton World Championships and performed similarly in the 2019 championships. Notably, in Basel, Switzerland, he triumphed over World No. 1 Thomas Wandschneider from Germany.
Ale's military journey began in 2005 in Siliguri, West Bengal, when he enlisted in the Army's nursing department as a Havildar after finishing school in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. A Nepalese by descent, he married during a temporary posting in New Delhi in 2007. Everything changed in 2009.
Prem, who secured a gold medal at the Dubai Para International with Abu Hubaida in 2021, reminisced, "I was content with my wife, Indira Maya Ale. But everything shifted two years later. In 2009, while riding my bicycle to duty, a truck struck me from behind. I regained consciousness in the hospital after two months and learned I would never walk again due to my spinal cord injury. It was a devastating moment, but I accepted it as God's will."
Ale, who won the French Para-Badminton International Championships (Level 2) in 2024, believes he was given a second chance at life after the accident. “I spent two years at the Army Hospital in Pune before being discharged. That’s when I discovered para sports through seniors.”
“In 2014, I took up para badminton while at the Para Physical Rehab Centre in Pune. Observing many wheelchair badminton players in the Army inspired me to learn. I retired early from the Army in 2012 and participated in the Badminton Nationals in Mumbai in 2014, winning a bronze medal. This achievement opened doors for me, and I never looked back,” he shared.
With aspirations of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, Ale is participating in the Khelo India Para Games this year for the first time. He observes that para players are now receiving more support and recognition, a stark contrast to the situation in 2014.
“Back in 2014, provisions for para-athletes were minimal, making our journey challenging. Now, conditions have significantly improved. Most of our stadiums are accessible, and the government offers substantial support,” he explained.
Currently, Ale practices under Aniket Singh at the Chandra Patil Academy in Pune. Previously, he trained for four years under Gaurav Khanna at GKB Academy in Lucknow before returning to Pune to be with his family, which includes a son and daughter.
“I am truly living my life now. Before the accident, I was not. This is my second chance, and I harbor no grievances. Everything that happened was meant to be, but since then, I have been crafting my own destiny,” he concluded.
