Noida: At 23, para high-jumper
Praveen Kumar has already climbed onto India's biggest sporting podiums — twice at the Paralympics — and now onto one of the country's highest civilian stages. The Jewar athlete will be conferred with the
Padma Shri for distinguished service in sports, the latest milestone in his career.
Praveen has achieved a rare distinction — all three major national sports honours within five years. He won silver in the men's high jump T64 at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, then upgraded it to gold at the Paris Paralympics in 2024 with a personal-best 2.08m. Tokyo earned him the Arjuna Award in 2021, while the Paris triumph led to the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in Jan 2025.
For Praveen, the news of Padma Shri was nothing short of surreal. "I was training in Delhi when I got a call from a sports ministry official on Sunday. Then, I dialled my father. This honour means a lot, not just for me but for everyone who has supported me," he told TOI.
Praveen called the recognition both a boost and a responsibility. "These recognitions motivate you, but they also increase responsibility. I see this as an encouragement to keep improving and performing consistently," he said.
Since winning the Khel Ratna, Praveen has continued to add to his record, including a bronze in the T64 high jump at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi in Sept-Oct last year, where he cleared a season-best 2m.
Now, the next bar is higher. "I am aiming for 2.1m. That would be an Asian record. Anything beyond that will be a bonus," he said, adding that the world record of 2.11m remains his long-term benchmark.
Praveen's focus is already on the Asian Games later this year in Japan and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. "Retaining the Paralympic gold is something I think about every day during training," he said.
Based in South Extension-I in Delhi, Praveen trains seven to eight hours daily at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. "I moved to Delhi in 2023 so that I could train properly and stay close to the stadium. It has helped me stay disciplined," he said, admitting he still misses home. "Whenever I get time, I go back to Govindgarh. That's where everything started."
That "start", he recalled, came at Pragyan School in Greater Noida, where he played volleyball and competed with able-bodied athletes. "Later, during an athletics meet in 2016, I tried high jump. That moment changed my direction," he said.
In 2018, he moved into para-athletics after meeting coach Satyapal Singh at a district-level competition. "He has been guiding me since then," Praveen said.
The announcement of Padma Shri sparked celebrations in Jewar's Govindgarh village, with Praveen's parents distributing sweets as neighbours came to congratulate the family. His father, Amarpal Singh, who works with the irrigation department, said, "My phone has been ringing since morning with congratulatory calls and messages. We are more than delighted with our son's achievements, which has not only made the family proud but also the village."
Praveen plans to visit the village over the weekend. "When I go home, children often gather around and ask about training, food, and how to stay focused. If my journey shows them that sport is possible from a place like Jewar, that itself is a big achievement for me," he said.
There are many who reach out to Praveen on social media. "Young para-athletes message me saying they don't know where to start. I try to connect them with the Paralympic Committee of India and tell them about govt schemes available for para-athletes. If sharing my experience helps someone take the first step, it's worth it."
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