India's Abu Hubaida-Prem Kumar Ale win bronze at BWF China Para Badminton International 2025

They secured podium finish in men’s doubles WH1-WH2 category.

Indian para badminton stars Abu Hubaida and Prem Kumar Ale secured a bronze medal in the men’s doubles WH1-WH2 category at the BWF China Para Badminton International 2025. The top-seeded Indian pair lost their semi-final match to China’s Mai Jianpeng and Qu Zimo (21-4, 21-10) on Saturday.

Earlier, the Indian duo had finished second in Group A with two victories and one defeat. They beat Australia’s Nang Nguyen and Chinese Taipei’s Yu-Yu Ong 21-6, 21-10, and defeated India’s Haris Mythili Srikumar and Czech Republic’s Zbyněk Sýkora 21-10, 21-12.

The pair’s only group stage loss came against Japan’s Daiki Kajiwara and Keita Nishimura, falling 12-21, 9-21.

“Every match is a new challenge, and every medal is a reward for the hard work and support behind me. This bronze motivates me to push harder and represent India on bigger stages,” said Abu Hubaida after the semi-finals.

The duo of Hubaida-Ale currently holds the World No. 4 ranking in the men’s doubles WH1-WH2 category. The pair are also ranked No. 3 in Asia in their doubles category.

This bronze medal adds to their recent success at the 2025 Asian Para-Badminton Championships in Thailand, where they won India’s first wheelchair doubles medal at the Asian continental level.

Abu Hubaida, 31, from Lucknow, overcame polio in his childhood to become a four-time national champion. He received the Laxman Award, Uttar Pradesh’s highest sporting honor.

His international achievements include gold and bronze medals at the Uganda Para-Badminton International 2017 and gold at the Egypt Para Badminton International 2024.

Prem Kumar Ale, an ex-Indian Army soldier, sustained spinal cord injuries in 2009. He made his international debut in 2014 and has partnered with Abu Hubaida to form India’s most successful wheelchair doubles combination.

The BWF China Para Badminton International 2025 is a Grade 2 tournament on the BWF Para Badminton World Circuit. The bronze medal strengthens the Indian pair’s position among the world’s top wheelchair para badminton players.

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