Noida: At 23, para high-jumper Praveen Kumar has added another milestone to his sporting career. The Jewar-based athlete will be conferred with the Padma Shri for distinguished service in sports, making him one of the youngest para-athletes to receive the civilian honour, TOI reported.
The Padma Shri completes a rare treble of major national sports honours for Praveen within five years. He won silver in the men’s high jump T64 event at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, which earned him the Arjuna Award the same year. He went on to upgrade the silver to gold at the Paris Paralympics in 2024, clearing a personal-best 2.08 metres, and was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in January 2025.
Praveen said the Padma Shri announcement came while he was training in Delhi. According to him, a call from a sports ministry official informed him of the honour, following which he spoke to his family. He described the recognition as both motivating and a responsibility to perform consistently.
Since receiving the Khel Ratna, Praveen has continued to add to his record. He won a bronze medal in the T64 high jump at the World Para Athletics Championships held in New Delhi in September–October last year, clearing a season-best 2 metres.
Praveen said he is now targeting a jump of 2.1 metres, which would be an Asian record, while the world record of 2.11 metres remains his long-term benchmark. His focus is on the Asian Games scheduled later this year in Japan and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Based in South Extension-I in Delhi since 2023, Praveen trains seven to eight hours a day at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He said moving closer to the stadium has helped him train more effectively, though he continues to visit his home village, Govindgarh in Jewar, whenever time permits.
Praveen began his sporting journey at Pragyan School in Greater Noida, where he played volleyball and competed with able-bodied athletes. He took up high jump during an athletics meet in 2016 and transitioned to para-athletics in 2018 after meeting coach Satyapal Singh at a district-level competition. Singh has been guiding him since then.
The Padma Shri announcement triggered celebrations in Govindgarh village, where Praveen’s parents distributed sweets. His father, Amarpal Singh, who works with the irrigation department, said the family has been receiving congratulatory calls since the announcement.
Praveen said he plans to visit the village over the weekend and often interacts with children and young para-athletes who seek guidance on training and opportunities. He also said he tries to connect aspiring athletes with the Paralympic Committee of India and inform them about government schemes available for para-athletes.
With inputs from TOI
The Padma Shri completes a rare treble of major national sports honours for Praveen within five years. He won silver in the men’s high jump T64 event at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, which earned him the Arjuna Award the same year. He went on to upgrade the silver to gold at the Paris Paralympics in 2024, clearing a personal-best 2.08 metres, and was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in January 2025.
Praveen said the Padma Shri announcement came while he was training in Delhi. According to him, a call from a sports ministry official informed him of the honour, following which he spoke to his family. He described the recognition as both motivating and a responsibility to perform consistently.
Since receiving the Khel Ratna, Praveen has continued to add to his record. He won a bronze medal in the T64 high jump at the World Para Athletics Championships held in New Delhi in September–October last year, clearing a season-best 2 metres.
Praveen said he is now targeting a jump of 2.1 metres, which would be an Asian record, while the world record of 2.11 metres remains his long-term benchmark. His focus is on the Asian Games scheduled later this year in Japan and the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Based in South Extension-I in Delhi since 2023, Praveen trains seven to eight hours a day at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He said moving closer to the stadium has helped him train more effectively, though he continues to visit his home village, Govindgarh in Jewar, whenever time permits.
Praveen began his sporting journey at Pragyan School in Greater Noida, where he played volleyball and competed with able-bodied athletes. He took up high jump during an athletics meet in 2016 and transitioned to para-athletics in 2018 after meeting coach Satyapal Singh at a district-level competition. Singh has been guiding him since then.
The Padma Shri announcement triggered celebrations in Govindgarh village, where Praveen’s parents distributed sweets. His father, Amarpal Singh, who works with the irrigation department, said the family has been receiving congratulatory calls since the announcement.
Praveen said he plans to visit the village over the weekend and often interacts with children and young para-athletes who seek guidance on training and opportunities. He also said he tries to connect aspiring athletes with the Paralympic Committee of India and inform them about government schemes available for para-athletes.
With inputs from TOI
