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2024 Paris Paralympics gold medalist Praveen Kumar was conferred with the Padma Shri 2026 on January 26, 2026. Following the announcement of his receiving the coveted honor, Republic World caught up with him in an exclusive interview.

In the interview, Praveen Kumar shared anecdotes from his high jump career, recalled moments when he felt most defeated, and how he overcame them to win gold and silver medals for India. Notably, Praveen Kumar won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, becoming the youngest Indian para-athlete to win a Paralympic medal.

Additionally, he won a gold medal in the 2024 Paris Paralympics, which was India's sixth gold in that campaign. He also won the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2025, the highest sporting award for any athlete.

Para-Athlete Praveen Kumar Recalls Quitting High Jump

During the interview, the athlete was asked to share what he does to overcome his woes during his worst times. In response, Praveen Kumar recalled an incident from the 2019 Junior World Championship in Switzerland, where he faced a last-minute category change. He shared how he had prepared for a field where the record was 1.95m, but was suddenly up against a record of 2.19m.

Kumar shared, "My mind was broken thinking it wouldn't be possible. I had to take it up by 15cm or 20cm... then I came back home, and I left high jump for 5-6 months. But my coach and my family supported me and brought me back into sports to try and achieve that mark."

He further added, "My coach, Dr. Satyapal Singh, told me to work hard for one year and 'if you fail, I won't ever ask you to come back.' I worked hard and made my return in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics... These are all parts of the journey, and we shouldn't be afraid of them; instead, we should learn from them and work twice as hard towards our dreams."

More About Praveen Kumar

The 2024 Paris Paralympics gold medalist is an Indian para-athlete high jumper born with a shorter leg due to a congenital impairment. He competes in the T64 category, which is for moderate movement impairment in one lower leg or a missing part of a leg.