Shailesh Kumar sets championship record of 1.91m in high jump T63 event to clinch India’s first gold at World Para Athletics C’ships; Deepthi bags silver in women’s 400m
India’s Shailesh Kumar during the high jump T63 final on Day One of the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi on Saturday. PICs/Getty Images; PTI
Nine years ago, Shailesh Kumar wasn’t even aware there is something called para-athlete. On Saturday, he became the world para champion in men’s high jump [T630].
Bronze for Varun Bhati
Competing at the World Para Athletics Championship here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shailesh created a new championship record by clearing the bar set at 1.91m. The Indian left the Paris Paralympics champion Ezra Frech of the USA and compatriot Varun Singh Bhati behind. Both Frech and Bhati registered a best clearance of 1.85m, but the American finished ahead on countback and the veteran Indian jumper had to be satisfied with bronze.
Varun Bhati
The other Indian in the final, Rahul, finished fourth with his personal best of 1.78m. Coming from Islamnagar, a village in the Jamui district of Bihar, Shailesh, used to compete with the able-bodied athletes during his sub-junior days and even won gold in the 2016 Sub-Junior State Championships in Bihar.
“I picked up the sport while in school, competing with the able-bodied players. My friend introduced me to para sports. So, I thought let’s try and see where I can reach. The other para-athletes told me about different categories. That’s how my para journey started,” he said.
On Saturday, he wasn’t satisfied with 1.91m and went for 1.94m, but failed to clear it on all three attempts. But 1.91m was enough to overcome the disappointment of a fourth-place finish in the Paris Paralympics last year. Speaking like a true Indian, Shailesh, who also won the Junior Para World Championships gold in 2019, said getting Indian food to eat helps him train and perform better.
‘Eating Indian food helps’
“Eating Indian food during a home event helps me a lot because when we compete or train abroad, it’s difficult to get good Indian food,” he said. “We were training in Bengaluru, where it was a lot cooler. We came here 10 days before the event to get acclimatized. It helped.” Shailesh has been training at the Sports Authority of India centre in Gandhi Nagar since 2019, where he landed up lured by a stipend.
Deepthi Jeevanji
“I got selected under the Khelo India [scheme] after winning gold at the Junior World Championships. I was offered Rs 10,000 monthly along with food and lodging, so I thought it’s good and I must go,” Shailesh added. Bhati, meanwhile, was happy to be back among the medals on the international stage. “My last international medal was the silver I won at the 2018 Para Asian Games. So, I am really happy to be back on the international podium. To be very honest, I haven’t slept for years. But I think today I will sleep peacefully.”
The last event of the opening day of the competition saw the women’s 400m (T20) reigning world champion Deepthi Jeevanji failing to defend her title, finishing with a silver medal. She lost to Turkiye’s Aysel Onder, who bettered her own world record to win gold.
Deepthi was leading the final until the 300m, but Onder added pace to her sprint in the home straight to leave the Indian behind with a new world record timing of 54.51 seconds. Deepthi clocked 55.16 seconds, which is her season best. Ukraine’s Yuliia Shuliar won the bronze medal (56.29sec). Among the other Indians in the finals, Kanchan Lakhani finished fifth in the women’s discus throw (F53), with a best of 9.68m. In the men’s shot-put (F37), India’s Manu finished ninth with a mark of 13.43m.
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