Praveen Kumar has bagged the 11th medal for India by winning a silver medal in the men’s high jump T64 category with a jump of 2.07m.
The gold medal was won by Great Britain’s Broom-Edwards, who notched up his season’s best of 2.10m to claim his gold. While Poland’s Maciej Lepiato won the bronze with a jump of 2.04m.
The 18-year-old Praveen Kumar who stands at World No 3 in his category also set the new Asian record during the event. He also became the youngest Indian to win a Paralympics medal in doing so.
Praveen had earned Paralympic qualification with a fourth-place finish in the men’s high jump T64 final at Junior Championships clearing 1.92, which was his personal best.
During the event, Kumar passed on his first attempt of 1.83 and directly cleared 1.88m in his first jump. Then he cleared 1.97m in his first attempt which was enough to ensure him a medal. It took two attempts for Kumar to clear the 2.01m mark, alongside Great Britain’s Jonathan Edwards Broom and Poland’s Maciej Lepiato.
After which Kumar cleared a 2.04m jump in his first attempt. He couldn’t manage to clear the 2.07m mark in his first attempt. However, he was able to clear the mark in his second try making the Asian Record, which Broom and Lepiato had failed. Lepiato failed to clear the mark in his third attempt, which had assured Praveen at least a silver. Broom cleared the 2.10m mark in his second attempt, which Praveen failed to clear in his three attempts, thus settling for silver.
Kumar has now produced the fourth medal for India in men’s high jump at Tokyo Games after Nishad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, and Sharad Kumar.
The ongoing Paralympic Games is turning out to be India’s best effort and the nation has so far claimed two gold, six silver, and three bronze medals.