Para Badminton: New learning experience for UAE's Omair Muhammed

UAE’s Omair Muhammed was slowly making strides in Para Badminton. One year since making his international debut at the Japan Para Badminton International 2024, Muhammed made his debut at the 6th Fazza Dubai 2025 Para Badminton International on Tuesday.

Muhammed was among the other Wheelchair events and Standing Lower and Standing Upper categories shuttlers who opened their campaigns at the sixth edition of the championships being played at the Shabab Al Ahli Club until May 11.

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The 29-year-old Dubai Club trainee lost his opening round games but the lessons he learnt playing were massive. Muhammed lost his men’s singles Wheelchair (WH2) Round one match against South Korea’s Jaegun Jeong 21-8, 21-5.

Jaegun is a silver medallist in men’s doubles Wheelchair (WH1-WH2) in Paris 2024 and men’s singles silver medallist in WH1.

“It was a good learning for me – the most important things I can take back from the game was patience and control. I need to keep playing and not rush to take the point,” said Muhammed, who also played the men’s doubles WH1-WH2 match alongside Jamal Al Bedwawi.

Muhammed has been a Para-athletics athlete and has won several medals in Fazza Para Athletics Grand Prix and West Asian Para Games. He also has been part of UAE’s wheelchair basketball team for around two years now and the shuttler feels this has helped him to improve his Para Badminton skills.

Among the top names, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games gold medallist Krishna Nagar began with an easy win over Noah Benedikt Hoffmann 21-7, 21-5 in men’s singles Short Stature (SH6).

Nagar has started the season with two gold medals in mixed double Short Stature (SH6) event at the Spanish Para Badminton International 2025. “I will be taking one step at a time and will try to play as many tournaments as I can this year to reach my peak,” said Nagar.

In women’s Standing Lower (SL3) events, top seed and world no. 3 Oksana Kozyna pulled off an easy 21-1, 21-1 win over England’s Victoria Bailey. Kozyna also won her opening mixed doubles and women’s doubles matches and hopes to take the gold medals on Sunday.

In Short Stature events, Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games champion Chu Man Kai cruised past his opponents in men’s doubles and mixed doubles SH6 matches. Man Kai along with Wong Chun Yim is top seeded in the men’s doubles SH 6 event.

In Wheelchair category, Indian top seeds Prem Kumar Ale and Alphia James would be hoping to get their first gold medal of the season in Dubai after their 21-12, 21-10 win over England’s David Follett and Australia’s Mischa Ginns. The pair, who has been training together in Dubai for a few months now, clinched the bronze medal at the Spain International.

Day Two of the championships will witness several top names including Paris 2024 medallists Cheah Liek Hou of Malaysia (men’s SU5), Korean Choi Jungman (men’s WH1) among others.