Suhas L Yathiraj, who is the District Magistrate of Noida, became the first IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics after he took home the silver in badminton men's singles (SL4) in Tokyo on Sunday. Yathiraj showed great spirit in the final, but was eventually beaten by world no.1 Lucas Mazur of France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among the first to congratulate Yathiraj on his heroics at the Tokyo Paralympics.
"A fantastic confluence of service and sports! Suhas Yathiraj has captured the imagination of our entire nation thanks to his exceptional sporting performance. Congratulations to him on winning the Silver medal in Badminton," PM Modi tweeted.
"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to him. On earlier occasions also he won many medals. Along with efficiently discharging his administrative duties, he has been successful in Paralympics," ANI quoted Yogi Adityanath as saying.