PARIS, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- British para-badminton player Daniel Bethell said he hopes to improve on the silver medal he won in Tokyo 2021, but admitted he isn't certain what it will be like playing in a packed arena.
The four-time European champion became Britain's first ever badminton medalist at the Paralympics in Tokyo and describes his silver medal as "amazing" and "a fulfilment of a childhood dream," he told media.
Bethell, who has cerebral palsy, won his medal in front of empty stands in Tokyo due to the restrictions caused by COVID-19 and is now going to play in front of 8,500 spectators at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
"I don't think I've played anywhere near a crowd of that size. And it will be "surreal," he admitted, before insisting that winning silver in Tokyo has "definitely spurred me on and inspired me to go on and win gold in Paris."
He began playing tennis, but there was no category for his disability at para-sport level, so after being inspired by watching the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, he began to search for something he could compete at.
"I was amazed by all these athletes with the same disability as me and other disabilities doing these incredible sporting feats. I thought 'wow, that would be so cool to be a part of'," added Bethell.
"It was literally a Google search that I found out about para-badminton. I thought 'OK, it's a racket sport so I've got some hand eye-coordination that might transfer quite well."
Bethell may be motivated for gold, but he also admits that the sport has already made him fulfilled.
"When I first started playing para-badminton the only thing I wanted was an England tracksuit and I got that about 10 years ago. If I retired and that was all I did, I'd be very happy," he admitted. ■
