India’s Praveen Kumar continued his hot streak in para athletics as he claimed gold in the men’s high jump T44/64 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old cleared 2.05 metres to achieve an record and assist India to achieve a one-two result, while his compatriot Banti placed second.
The 23-year-old para high-jumper is extending his success run on the international circuit after securing a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and finishing as the champion at the previous edition of Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023.
Praveen clinched a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 , which was staged in 2021, in the men’s high jump T64 category as he jumped 2.07m to finish on the podium. This performance also earned him a place among India’s most successful para high-jumpers and marked the start of his meteoric rise on the international para athletics scene.
He then went on to win gold at the Hangzhou 2023 and reached the top of the podium again at the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. In Paris, he jumped 2.08m to bag the Paralympic Games title.
Another international achievement that Praveen can be proud of is his bronze medal at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, where he placed third in the men’s high jump T64 after jumping 2.00m.
His latest triumph at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya has further added to his collection of continental honours as he equalled the Asian Para Games record of 2.05m.
Praveen started off at 1.92m before moving up as the event progressed. He then jumped 2.00m to beat the previous record of 1.95m set by Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov at the 2018 edition in Jakarta.
The Indian para athlete then jumped a new Asian Para Games record of 2.05m to clear the bar on his final attempt at that height. He then attempted 2.07m but failed to clear.
Banti finished second with a personal-best clearance of 1.92m, whereas Giyazov cleared 1.86m to finish third. This result enabled India to finish with two competitors in the podium in the men’s high jump T44/64.
The T44/64 classification system enables athletes with lower limb disabilities to participate at the highest level. The classification covers various impairments, including prosthetic limbs, with T64 indicating lower limb amputees competing with a prosthesis and T44 indicating those without a prosthesis.
hails from Govindgarh village in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district. He was born with a lower-limb disability and has one leg shorter than the other. At a young age, he developed an interest in athletics and subsequently specialised in the high jump under the tutelage of coach Satyapal Singh.
Throughout his journey, he has been participating in prestigious international events like the Paralympics, Asian Para Games and the World Para Athletics Championships, where he has made his mark as a competitor against the best in his category.
Praveen also revealed that he had been unwell in the weeks leading to the 2026 Asian Para Games. He said his illness had impacted his training and that he was initially apprehensive about defending his title.
“I was not well two weeks back and was thinking how I would defend my gold medal. After that I was recovering for one week, but my body was not strong and jumps were not coming. But in the end it turned out that all these illnesses are nothing if you have to win gold for the country,” he told news agency PTI.
Nevertheless, his performance in Nagoya saw off another gold medal triumph for India, while adding to his list of international achievements.
With the 2.05m clearance, Praveen defended his Asian Para Games title and further consolidated his position as one of India’s leading international para high jumpers. His latest achievement in Nagoya has also enabled the Indian contingent to score another gold medal as it progresses with its campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.
