INDIA'S World No. 5 para badminton champion Sukant Kadam is a Sports Authority of India Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) athlete. However, Kadam, 27, a Taluka Sports Officer (TSO) for the last two years in Maharashtra's Sangli district, has been struggling financially. He is awaiting his salary for a period of nine months during which he attended National camps and was playing international tournaments (between April and December last year).

Knee problem Kadam, who suffered a serious left knee injury, restricting his movement while playing tennis-ball cricket at the age of 10, studied to become a Mechanical Engineer. He developed an interest in badminton under the guidance of Pune-based coach and Olympian Nikhil Kanetkar.