Paris Paralympics 2024: Nishad Kumar bags silver in men’s high jump T-47, achieves season-best performance

Paris Paralympics 2024: Team India athlete Nishad Kumar bagged a silver medal in the men's high jump - T47 category final on early today on September 2, at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, ANI reported.

With a leap of 2.04 metres, this is also Kumar's season-best performance, the report added. It noted that he bagged a silver medal during the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics as well.

United States of America (USA) athlete Roderick Townsend-Roberts extended his lead over Kumar with a season-best jump of 2.08m and won the gold medal, and Russia's Georgii Margiev took the bronze.

PM Narendra Modi Congratulates Kumar

In a post on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) today (September 2), Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kumar on his feat and encouraged support for the Indian contingent at the Paralympics with the hashtag #Cheer4Bharat.

“Congrats to Nishad for his remarkable achievement in winning a silver medal in the Men's high jump T47 event at the Paralympics 2024! He has shown us all that with passion and determination, everything is possible. India is elated. Cheer for Bharat,” PM Modi wrote.

India At 2024 Paris Paralympics

India has secured a total of seven medals at the ongoing 2024 Paris Paralympics — one gold, two silvers, and three bronzes.

• On September 1 (Sunday), Indian parasprinter Preeti Pal created history by nabbing the bronze medal in the 200m T-35 category. She came in third with a time of 30.01 seconds.

Pal's historic achievement is that she now becomes the first-ever Indian woman athlete to win two medals in the track and field event at the Paralympics, or Olympics. On August 31 (Saturday), Preeti secured third place and won the bronze medal in the T35 100m race after clocking 14.21 seconds — also her personal best.

• Also on August 31, Rubina Francis finished won the bronze medal in the P2-Women's 10M Air Pistol SH-1 final, with a total of 211.1 points in the final.
• On August 30 (Friday), reigning Paralympic champion, Avani Lekhara maintained her winning streak and won gold in the women's 10m air rifle final. She dominated the competition with 249.7 points — which is also her personal best.
• Shooter Mona Agarwal bagged the bronze medal at the same event — the women's 10m air rifle final on August 30.
• India's silver medal came in shooting as well, with Manish Narwal getting a silver in the men's P1 10 m air pistol SH1 competition on August 30.

Largest Team India Contingent at Paralympics

This year, India has sent its largest Paralympics contingent ever, comprising 84 athletes across 12 sports, a testament to the country's expanding para-sports ecosystem.

India's participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics marks not only a significant increase in numbers but also in medal hopes, as the nation aims to surpass its previous achievements in Tokyo.

Tokyo 2020 was India's most successful Paralympic Games, with the country winning 19 medals, including five golds, eight silvers, and six bronzes.

(With inputs from ANI)