Nishad Kumar (born 3 October 1999) is an Indian paralympian and high jumper. He made his maiden Paralympic Games appearance in 2020 Tokyo representing India and went onto claim silver medal in the men's high jump T47 category with a new Asian record of 2.06m. In the 2022 Asian Para Games, he won a gold medal in the men's high jump T47 at Hangzhou, China.
Personal life
Nishad is from Baduan village of Amb sub-division in Una District, Himachal Pradesh. His father was a farmer. His mother, a state-level volleyball player and a discus thrower, was his inspiration. At the age of six, his right hand was severed accidentally by a grass-cutting machine in his family farm. He did his college in DAV College, Sector 10 in Chandigarh. He later pursued his higher education at the Himachal Pradesh University. He is studying for a PE at Lovely Professional University.
In early 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19.
Career
He took up the sport of para-athletics in 2009. In November 2019, he won the bronze medal in the men's T47 category at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships and, as a result, he qualified to compete at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. He won the gold medal in T46 category at the 2021 World Para Athletics Grand Prix which was held in Dubai.
He also became the second Indian to win a medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics after Bhavina Patel when he clinched a silver in the T47 category high jump event along with an Asian Record. He incredibly shared the silver medal with Dallas Wise of USA who also cleared the same distance of 2.06m.
References
1999 births
Living people
Indian male high jumpers
Paralympic athletes for India
Paralympic silver medalists for India
Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the World Para Athletics Championships Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics People from Himachal Pradesh Recipients of the Arjuna Award