How volleyball skills aided Praveen Kumar to become a top class high jumper

When in school, Praveen Kumar enjoyed playing volleyball. He was good at the game; his jumps while hitting the smashes were considered impressive. If he had any hopes of making sports a career at all during that period, volleyball was his first choice. However, it all changed in Class 9 when a well-wisher advised him to shift to high jump after seeing his spike-jumps during a volleyball match.
“That was just the beginning,” Pradeep told TOI after winning the silver medal in the men's high jump T64 event at the Paralympics on Friday.
Pradeep, who's from Greater Noida, did course correction and immersed himself in the new sport completely. The results soon started to follow. He said he won a gold medal in a CBSE meet and it made him convinced that the sport can offer a future. “I met my coach Satyapal Singh in September 2018. He saw potential in me and took me under his wings."
Within a few months, he won a silver in U-20 junior para world championship to announce his arrival on the scene. Soon after, he graduated to the senior level and finished fourth in the Para world championship in Dubai in 2019.
Praveen, whose father is an employee in the irrigation department of UP government and a farmer as well, was delighted to win the silver in his first Paralympics in Tokyo on Friday. “I am not sad at missing out on gold, as the silver is a blessing in disguise for me. It means I will be motivated to strive for the top-place finish in the Paris Paralympics in 2024.”