Praveen Kumar
The para high jumper who won silver at Tokyo 2020 and gold at Paris 2024 in the T44 class, setting Asian records, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Praveen Kumar was born with one leg shorter than the other, and became a Paralympic champion in the high jump. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of sports, from Uttar Pradesh [1].
From volleyball to high jump
Praveen was born on 15 May 2003 into a modest family [2]. His first love was volleyball, where he found he could jump and smash harder than his friends [2]. That gave him the confidence to try the high jump at a school meet against non-disabled athletes [2]. His career took off when he met his coach, Dr. Satyapal Singh, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium [2].
Medals
He won silver at the World Para Athletics Junior Championships and then finished fourth at the senior world championships, qualifying for Tokyo [2]. At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics he won silver with a jump of 2.07 m, an Asian record. No Indian para-athlete had won a Paralympic medal at a younger age [2]. At Paris 2024 he won gold, again setting an Asian record [2]. He has also won gold at the Asian Para Games [2].
In 2022 he became the first Indian para-athlete to win gold at a national championship for non-disabled athletes, the Federation Cup juniors [2]. His citation lists him as world number one in the men’s T44 high jump [2].
The Arjuna Award came in 2021, followed in 2024 by India’s top sporting honour, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Praveen Kumar — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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