Ukraine’s Oleksandr Chrykov has come close several times to the top step of a major podium; twice at the European Para Championships and once at the Paralympic Games.

Headed to the NSDF ROYAL CLIFF BEACH BWF Para Badminton World Championships 2024 in Pattaya, Thailand next week (20-25 February) and looking good to qualify for Paris 2024, Chyrkov, 27, is determined to correct his past missteps and place himself as a top contender in SL3 men’s singles.

“I’m working on changing the way I play. I tend to play long rallies, 15 to 20 shots, and then I lose balance or just cannot get the point on that 21st shot. I need to practice keeping my rallies short and go for the points,” said Chyrkov, who sustained a left leg injury after being knocked down by a car at the age of nine.

A two-time silver medallist at the European Para Championships, in 2018 and 2023, Chyrkov lost in both finals to Daniel Bethell (England). In 2021, at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Chyrkov was ousted in the third round by India’s Pramod Bhagat.

“I need to learn from players like Pramod and Daniel. At the same time, they practice with lots of sparring partners whereas I only have (Oksana) Kozyna (Ukraine) and my coach to train with. I also have to always think about recovery after each game because I don’t have access to a proper physio and medical team.”

These shortcomings however, haven’t kept him from getting to his current sixth place in the world and Race to Paris rankings and dreaming of a Paralympic medal in September.

“I still face the same top five players above me but this year I’m in a comfortable position. I just need to focus harder on singles from now. I can improve enough to maybe get at least a bronze in Paris.”