From the fields of Himachal Pradesh to the Paralympic podium, Nishad Kumar surely jumped his way into the history pages—and our hearts. The high-jumping sensation of Badaun village was not only aiming for the sky but promisingly was determined to make it his stage and at Paris Paralympics 2024 he did exactly that, leaping over 2.04 m for a shiny silver medal.
A Journey Unlike Any Other
Nishad Kumar is no run-of-the-mill sports story. A six-year-old at the time, he was helping out on his family’s farm when an accident with the fodder-cutting machine took his right arm away. For most people, that would have been a psychological end to their life. But not Nishad. He got up and no sooner did he get up from the incident than he was sprinting and jumping his way through school competitions, leaving everyone-be they two arms or none-behind in dust.
Rise Through the Ranks
It was in 2017 that Nishad Kumar entered the world of para-athletics. Then came coaches Naseem Ahamed and Vikram Chaudhary, who saw that the lanky youngster was something special. Whittling away with serious training, while taking a cue from TV for the high jump technique, yes, TV, he traversed from 1.55 meters to soar over 2 meters.
Tokyo Triumph
Cut to Tokyo, where the ultimate test awaited Nishad Kumar amidst a sea of seriously talented competition. With a new coach, the inimitable Satyanarayan, he parlayed a heart as big as his jumps into a silver medal performance, nipping another American by the thinnest of margins.
Podium At Paris
Now the 24 year old Nishad Kumar secured a silver medal at the Paris Paralympics 2024 with his 2.04m leap. This was Nishad Kumar’s second podium finish.
What’s Next?
What’s next for Nishad, then? More records, more medals, maybe jumping over the moon one day. For sure, Nishad Kumar is not a high jumper. He is a high-flyer and all of us are just onlookers.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
