Para athlete Nishad Kumar has made a habit of winning high jump accolades over the years, including gold medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi. So, he was confident of defending his Asian Para Games title at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. However, an unexpected triumph a day before the event gave his confidence a massive boost.

Another feather in his hat

Until the morning of October 19, Nishad was known as one of India’s finest para high jumpers. By the end of the day, however, he had added another feather to his cap, winning gold in his first major international long jump competition with an effort of 7.11m.