Nishad Kumar came to Japan to defend a high jump crown. He left Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Monday with a gold medal in an entirely different event.

The 27-year-old opened with 6.95m, improved to 7.09m and landed 7.11m on his third attempt to win the men’s long jump T47 final on 19 October, in what was his first international competition in the discipline. Omadbek Khasanov of Uzbekistan took silver with 6.99m, and Sri Lanka’s Mohammadu Safran was third on 6.55m.

Kumar had begun exploring the long jump the previous year, and had previously registered a 7.22m jump in an able-bodied meet in Muscat, where he finished fifth of eight. In Nagoya he faced classified rivals for the first time, and his third-round effort was never beaten. The win was India’s first para-athletics gold of the Games.

A farm accident, and a mother who pushed him into sport

Kumar grew up in Baduan village in the Amb area of Una district in Himachal Pradesh. He lost his right hand at the age of six in an accident involving a grass-cutting machine on the family farm. His mother, a former state-level volleyball player and discus thrower, steered him towards athletics. He entered the para-athletics system in 2009.

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High jump remains his primary event. He is a two-time Paralympic silver medallist in the T47 category, taking the medal in Tokyo in 2020 and holding it in Paris in 2024, and he won gold in the same event at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. A year ago he added a world title in New Delhi, where his 2.14m clearance set an Asian record.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to react.

“Very proud of Nishad Kumar on winning Gold in the Men’s Long Jump T47 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 with an outstanding jump. Winning a Gold on his debut in this event makes the achievement even more special. His versatility, determination and sporting excellence are truly inspiring. Wishing him the very best for the endeavours ahead,” Modi said in a post.

High jump title still to defend

Kumar is scheduled to contest the men’s high jump T47 final at 4:05pm local time on Tuesday, where he will try to retain the Asian Para Games crown he won in Hangzhou.

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