Manama, February 14 India's Pramod Bhagat won the men's SL3 gold medal with a dominant straight-game victory over Indonesia's Muhammad Al Imran at the BWF Para World Championships here on Saturday.
The 37-year-old Bhagat dominated his opponent 21-12, 21-18 in the final to claim his fourth consecutive singles gold at the world championships and his sixth overall world title in the category.
This victory highlights Bhagat's sustained dominance in the SL3 division, which refers to a classification for standing players with significant lower limb impairment.
Bhagat, who contracted polio when he was five, had previously won world championship singles gold medals in 2009, 2015, 2019, 2022, and 2024.
Following Saturday's win, he surpassed China's legendary Lin Dan, who won five men's singles world titles in able-bodied badminton, making Bhagat the most decorated singles champion in the sport's world championship history.
The triumph also marked a significant redemption for Bhagat, who served an 18-month suspension for violating the Badminton World Federation (BWF) anti-doping clause, which forced him to miss the 2024 Paris Paralympics.