Who is Indian para high jump athlete Nishad Kumar, biography, age, parents, disability and state

Who is Indian para high jump athlete Nishad Kumar, biography, age, parents, disability and state

Know all the information, biography, age, disability and career journey of Indian para athlete Nishad Kumar

At the Paris 2024 Paralympics, India’s Nishad Kumar experienced a wave of emotion as he fell just short of gold in the men’s high jump T47 class, ultimately securing the silver medal. The 24-year-old para-athlete reached a height of 2.04 meters in the final, narrowly missing out on the top spot, which was claimed by the USA’s Roderick Townsend.

Who is Indian para high jump athlete Nishad Kumar, biography, age, family, parents, disability and state

This silver medal marked Nishad Kumar’s second Paralympic podium finish; he had previously earned silver at Tokyo 2020 with a jump of 2.06 meters. Nishad competes in the T47 category, which is designated for athletes with unilateral upper limb impairment.

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Who is Nishad Kumar?

Nishad, a native of Baduan village in the Amb sub-division of Una District, Himachal Pradesh, grew up under the influence of his mother, a state-level volleyball player and discus thrower, who inspired him greatly. His father worked as a farmer, providing a modest but supportive background. At just six years old, Nishad faced a life-altering event when a grass-cutting machine on his family’s farm resulted in the loss of his right hand.

At the age of six, his right hand was severed by a grass-cutting machine in his family farm. He did his college from the DAV College, Sector 10 in Chandigarh.

His parents are Rashpal and Pushpa Devi and like any village kid, Nishad liked flying kits as well as meeting Army soldiers on vacation while going to school and his first dream was to join the Indian Army.

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know personal life details about Nishad:
  • Nationality: Indian
  • Born: 3 October 1999 (age 24)
  • Birthplace: Amb, Himachal Pradesh, India
  • Sport: Paralympic athletics
  • Disability class: T47
  • Event: High jump

Nishad Kumar: career journey and achievements

Kumar’s early promise was highlighted when he secured a silver medal in the sub-junior high jump category at the 2013 National School Games in Patiala. In 2017, he transitioned to para-athletics under the guidance of coaches Naseem Ahmed and Vikram Chaudhary, the latter having previously mentored Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.

This new chapter in his career brought Kumar a bronze medal in the men’s high jump T47 category at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. The year 2021 proved to be pivotal, beginning with a gold medal in the T46 category at the 12th Fazaa International Championships, part of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai.

Kumar won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where he set an Asian record with a jump of 2.06m. In 2022, Kumar bagged a gold medal at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where he set a new Asian Para Games record with a jump of 2.02m. At the 2024 Kobe Para Athletics World Championships, Nishad bagged a silver medal.

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