In the small village of Hassan, Karnataka, a boy named Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj was born on 2 July, 1983, with an ankle impairment — a condition that would become both his greatest challenge and his source of strength.
Mocked by peers and dismissed by society, Suhas grew up in a world that seemed determined to pull him down. But he had a secret weapon: his father’s unwavering belief in him.
Fuelled by this support, Suhas excelled in both academics and sports, eventually becoming an engineer. Yet, his dreams extended far beyond the classroom.
Suhas always wanted to make a significant impact. So, he set his sights on the civil services and aced the UPSC exams on his first attempt, joining the Indian Administrative Service in 2007.
However, badminton changed the course of his life. What began as a hobby soon turned into a full-blown career as he started winning local and national tournaments.
Juggling the demands of being an IAS officer with the rigours of training, Suhas made history at the 2016 Asian Para-Badminton Championships by winning gold — becoming the first Indian bureaucrat to win an international title.
His winning streak continued at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, where he won silver in the SL-4 category, solidifying his place as a trailblazer in the world of para-sports. This victory also made him the world’s number-one para shuttler.
Clearly, there was no looking back for Suhas. He went on to clinch gold at the 2024 World Championships in Thailand.In 2021, Suhas received the Arjuna Award, making him the only IAS officer to win both this award and a Paralympic medal.
Suhas (41) will now face France’s Lucas Mazur, aiming to settle the score after losing to him in the Tokyo Paralympics.
His message to the world is a bout of motivation: “Don’t have regrets. It’s okay to try and fail. And if I can do it, anyone can.”