Praveen Kumar: A volleyball lover who made giant strides en route to winning high jump gold at Paris Paralympics

India’s Praveen Kumar won gold in the men’s high jump T64 event at the 2024 Paris Paralympics on Friday. With his gold medal, Praveen set a new benchmark for India at the Paralympics, winning India's sixth gold in Paris , thus surpassing the nation’s tally of five gold medals from Tokyo three years ago.

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Having said that, the 21 year-old had won silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021, so winning gold in Paris this time around will be something that Praveen will cherish for the rest of his life. Praveen had also won gold in the same competition at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games last year.

Who is Praveen Kumar?

Praveen Kumar was born on 15 May, 2003 in Govindgarh, Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He has made significant strides in athletics over the years and currently competes in the T64 category, where athletes with lower limb impairment compete with the use of prosthesis due to limb deficiency and leg length difference. At the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, Praveen became the youngest para-athlete to win a medal when he bagged silver medal in the men’s high jump T64 category with a jump of 2.07m. He was 18 years old at that time.

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Praveen Kumar clinches gold 🥇 at #Paris2024 with his season's best jump of 2.08 m 🤯

Watch the #Paralympics LIVE on #JioCinema 👈#ParalympicsOnJioCinema #JioCinemaSports #ParalympicsParis2024 #HighJump pic.twitter.com/k6zLWLU9XD

— JioHotstar Reality (@HotstarReality) September 6, 2024

Praveen faced several challenges towards becoming a para-athlete. Born with a short leg, he initially struggled with feelings of inferiority compared to his peers. To combat his insecurities, he engaged in sports with friends and discovered a passion for volleyball. However, his life took a pivotal turn when he participated in a high jump event at an able-bodied athletics competition, which exposed him to the possibilities available for athletes with disabilities.

Under the guidance of Dr. Satyapal Singh, a para-athletics coach who recognized Praveen’s potential, he shifted his focus to high jump. That decision was a game-changer for Praveen as he went on to win gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou last year in the T64 high jump category. He also broke the Asian record with a jump of 2.05m.

Congratulations to Praveen Kumar for scaling new heights and winning a Gold in the Men's High Jump T64 at the #Paralympics2024!

His determination and tenacity have brought glory to our nation.

India is proud of him! #Cheer4Bharat pic.twitter.com/ICR7BvhruJ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 6, 2024

Among Praveen’s achievements are winning silver in the World Para Athletics Junior Championship in 2019 held in Nottwil, Switzerland and a gold medal at World Para Athletics FAZZA Grand Prix in 2021 in Dubai. Most recently, he won a bronze medal at the World Para Athletics Championship 2023, further solidifying his status as a leading athlete in his category, qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

What are Praveen Kumar’s achievements?

—Tokyo Paralympics (2020) – Silver Medal

—Asian Para Games (2022) – Gold Medal (AR)

—World Para Athletics Championship (2023)– Bronze Medal

—World Para Athletics Championship (2019)– Silver Medal

—Fazza, Dubai Grand Prix (2022)– Silver Medal

Government support

—Financial Assistance for Training & Competition

—Out of Pocket Allowance under TOPS