A google search that started journey of Paralympic silver medallist Praveen Kumar

Praveen,
a
son
of
a
poor
farmer
at
a
village
near
Jewar
in
Gautam
Buddha
Nagar
district,
clinched
silver
medal
in
the
men’s
high
jump
T64/T44
event
of
the
Paralympics
by
setting
a
new
Asian
record
of
2.07m.

“My
school
life
was
mostly
about
sports.
But
at
that
time
I
did
not
know
I
will
reach
at
this
level
one
day.
I
was
playing
volleyball
initially
in
school,
but
then
slowly
came
to
know
of
para-athletics
and
took
up
high
jump,”
Praveen
said
after
his
event.

“I
came
to
know
about
Paralympics
and
how
to
take
part
in
it
after
searching
on
google,”
the
high
jumper,
whose
congenital
impairment
affects
the
bones
that
connect
his
hip
to
his
left
leg,
said
during
a
virtual
press
conference
organised
by
Eurosport
and
Paralympic
Committee
of
India.

Explaining
how
he
came
to
rise
to
this
level,
Praveen
said,
“I
took
part
in
a
district-level
competition
where
I
met
Ashok
Saini
sir
who
gave
me
the
phone
number
of
Satyapal
sir
(his
current
coach).

“I
contacted
(Satyapal)
sir
and
then
he
found
out
in
which
classification
I
will
compete.
He
identified
me
and
said
he
will
take
me.
This
was
2018,”
said
Praveen
who
is
a
B.A.
second-year
student
in
Motilal
Nehru
College
in
Delhi.

Praveen,
who
is
just
in
his
second
year
in
the
international
circuit,
said
initially
even
the
fellow
students
and
teachers
of
his
school
wondered
how
he
will
do
well
in
his
sport
but
they
later
began
supporting
him.

“I
won
a
silver
in
junior
para-athletics
world
championships
in
2019
and
won
gold
in
the
para-athletics
Grand
Prix
earlier
this
year
(in
Dubai),
so
people
started
supporting
me.”
He
finished
fourth
in
the
Para
Athletics
(senior)
World
Championships
in
2019.

Talking
about
Friday’s
competition,
he
said,
“I
was
a
bit
low
in
confidence
when
I
cleared
1.97m
in
my
second
attempt
but
I
regained
confidence
after
jumping
2.01m.
I
told
myself
I
will
give
my
best
whatever
it
takes,
whether
rain
or
not.

“There
was
pressure
while
trying
to
jump
2.10m.
In
the
final
attempt,
I
just
thought
of
doing
my
best
and
it
was
a
very
good
attempt
but
there
was
some
problems
in
my
landing
and
so
I
could
not
clear
it,”
said
Praveen,
who
was
congratulated
by
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
on
phone.

His
coach
Satyapal
said
he
initially
had
some
reservation
about
his
short
stature
but
found
that
Praveen
has
very
strong
muscles
on
his
right
leg.

“His
left
leg
is
the
impaired
one
but
his
right
leg
has
very
strong
muscles.
So,
despite
his
short
stature
I
took
him
under
me.
Height
(of
athlete)
is
very
important
in
high
jump,”
Satyapal
told
PTI
about
his
ward
who
is
around
5ft
5
inches
tall.

“He
came
to
me
with
his
father
in
2018
and
I
found
out
his
talent.
He
is
from
a
very
poor
family
but
he
is
very
sincere
and
dedicated.”
Praveen
was
also
COVID-19
positive
in
April
and
he
could
not
train
properly
this
year.

“Due
to
lock
down,
he
could
not
train
properly.
High
jumpers
need
mattress
to
train
but
he
could
do
that
as
the
stadiums
were
closed.
Moreover,
he
contracted
COVID-19
this
year,”
Satyapal,
who
trains
Praveen
at
Delhi’s
Jawaharlal
Nehru
Stadium,
said.

Satyapal
said
Praveen
is
a
sure
shot
gold
medal
candidate
at
the
Asian
Para
Games
next
year
in
Hangzhou
in
China.

“He
started
competing
in
international
events
only
two
years
back
and
now
he
has
won
a
silver
in
Paralympics.
He
is
just
18
and
he
will
be
the
country’s
top
Paralympian
in
future.

“Our
target
will
be
to
win
the
Asian
Para
Games
next
year
and
gold
in
2014
Paris
Paralympics
with
world
record.”
The
world
record
in
T44
high
jump
is
2.19m.
T44
classification
is
for
athletes
with
a
leg
deficiency,
leg
length
difference,
impaired
muscle
power
or
impaired
passive
range
of
movement
in
the
legs.