Watch: How Dhruv Kapila overcame adversity to win Asian Games medal

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto pushed China's world No. 1 mixed doubles pair to three games in the Asian Games quarterfinals in Ichinomiya, before losing down. The exit stung, but Dhruv left Aichi-Nagoya with a medal: bronze with India's men's badminton team, the country's only badminton medal of the Games.

Having won silver in the men's team event in Hangzhou in 2022, the Aichi-Nagoya outing was Dhruv's second Asian Games. But this time he arrived under very different circumstances, having overcome injury and doubt, all with sheer grit.

Race against time

Ahead of the Games, Kapila spoke to The Bridge about the period where with no major sponsor and little margin for error, he relied on intensive rehabilitation, targeted medical care and stubborn mental strength to get back to match fitness.

He was open about the financial uncertainty of life without big backing, and about how passion for the sport and pride in representing India kept him going.

Dhruv also spoke about the mixed doubles partnership with Tanisha, built on constant court communication, complementary styles and trust under pressure. The routine behind it is demanding: conditioning, recovery and fuelling. Dhruv said he prefers Fast & Up during training, part of the brand's #FuelForward series on how India's athletes prepare away from the spotlight.

The next target

Dhruv was part of the Indian squad that won the 2022 Thomas Cup, and he now has Asian Games medals from two editions. His goals are straightforward: stay among the world's best in doubles, keep winning with Tanisha, and help Indian doubles badminton go further.

The injuries have healed and with resolve, Dhruv charges ahead. For a player who has prospered despite adversity, the next step is to keep moving forward.