Indian para-athlete Praveen Kumar achieved a momentous victory at the Paris Paralympics 2024, capturing the gold medal in the men’s high jump T64 final with a record-setting leap of 2.08 meters. This remarkable jump not only clinched gold but also set a new Asian record.
Praveen Kumar, reflecting on his achievement, expressed his deep commitment to achieving his best performance and avoiding any regrets. “I hadn’t expected this, I just wanted to deliver my personal best. I had been waiting for three years to hear the national anthem,” Kumar said, as ANI reported. He emphasized that his focus was solely on winning gold, underscoring his desire to return to India without any regrets.
Praveen’s coaches shared the emotional resonance of the moment. Satya Prakash Sangwan, India’s Chef de Mission for the 2024 Paralympics and Vice-President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), was moved to tears by the playing of the national anthem. He expressed a deep sense of pride and faith in India’s medal prospects, aiming for a total of 28 medals.
PCI President Devendra Jhajaria praised Praveen’s achievement, highlighting how his “passion, hard work, and discipline” surpassed conventional sports science. Despite sports science suggesting that a 2.08-meter jump would typically require a height of 6 feet, Praveen’s dedication proved otherwise, as he stands at 5 feet 6 inches.
Praveen’s coach, Satyapal, described the victory as the ultimate “guru dakshina,” or teacher’s reward. Noting the immense pride in seeing his student excel on such a grand stage.
In addition to Praveen Kumar’s gold, Indian para-athlete Hokato Hotozhe Sema contributed to India’s Paralympic success by winning a bronze medal in the men’s shot put F57 final. With these recent achievements, India’s medal tally at the Paris Paralympics has risen to 27, including six-golds, nine-silvers, and 12-bronzes. This surpasses the previous record of five golds set at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, according to ANI.
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