Pramod Bhagat won his sixth world title in the SL3 category at the BWF Para Badminton World Championships on February 14, 2026, in Manama, Bahrain. The 37-year-old Indian beat Muhammad Al Imran 21-12, 21-18 in straight games to claim his fourth consecutive gold medal in the men’s singles SL3 event. Bhagat also won the doubles title with partner Sukant Kadam, completing a golden double at the championships.
The victory made Bhagat the most decorated singles champion in world championship history across both para and able-bodied badminton. He surpassed Chinese legend Lin Dan, who won five men’s singles world titles in able-bodied competition. Bhagat has now won world titles in 2009, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2026, with his last four wins coming in consecutive championships.
Bhagat Dominates Final in Straight Games
Bhagat controlled the final from start to finish against Muhammad Al Imran. He won the first game 21-12 and then took the second 21-18 to seal the championship without dropping a single game. The SL3 category is for standing players with significant lower limb impairment, and Bhagat contracted polio at age five, which led to his classification in this category.
The win came after Bhagat had served an 18-month suspension from the BWF for an anti-doping whereabouts violation. The ban was not for taking banned substances but for missing mandatory location filings three times in 12 months. He missed the 2024 Paris Paralympics because of the suspension, but returned to competition in September 2025 and has now won 10 gold medals in international tournaments since his comeback.
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Golden Double With Kadam Partnership
Bhagat teamed up with Sukant Kadam in the men’s doubles SL3-SL4 category and beat the Indian pair of Jagadesh Dilli and Naveen Sivakumar 21-19, 21-16 in the final. The doubles win came just hours after his singles triumph, showing his fitness and ability to handle the physical demands of competing in two events at the T20 WC, at the teams level of para badminton.
Kadam had won a bronze medal in the men’s singles SL3 event earlier in the tournament. The doubles gold gave him a chance to finish the championships on a high note after falling short in singles. Only seven para badminton players have ever won the golden double of singles and doubles titles at world championships, and Bhagat has now achieved this feat multiple times in his career.
Breaking Records at Age 37
Bhagat’s six world titles span 17 years from his first win in 2009 to his latest triumph in 2026. He waited six years between his first and second titles, then four years between his second and third. Since 2019, he has won every world championship held in the SL3 category, capturing gold in 2019, 2022, 2024 and now 2026.
Winning at age 37 makes Bhagat one of only four SL3 world champions to claim gold after turning 35. Most para badminton champions in this category win their titles between the ages of 25 and 32, making his continued dominance at an older age rare. His ability to maintain top form suggests superior fitness management and tactical skills that have evolved over nearly two decades of competition.
India’s Strong Medal Haul
India won several other medals at the world championships in Manama. Sukant Kadam took bronze in men’s singles SL3, along with Kumar Nitesh, giving India a sweep of the podium in that event, with Bhagat’s gold. Krishna Nagar won bronze medals in both men’s singles SH6 and mixed doubles events.
Prem Kumar Ale and Alphia James won silver in the wheelchair category, marking India’s first-ever world championship medal in wheelchair para badminton. The country has traditionally dominated standing categories, but this result shows the para badminton program is expanding.
Manasi Joshi and Thulasimathi Murugesan won bronze in women’s doubles, while Manisha Ramdass and Naveen Sivakumar both claimed silver medals in their respective singles events at the WC venues in Bahrain.
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