Praveen Kumar won gold in the men’s high jump T44/64 at the Asian Para Games
He cleared 2.05m to set a Games record
Banti secured silver with a personal best of 1.92m
Asian Para Games 2026: Praveen Kumar Wins Gold With Games Record As Banti Takes Silver In Asian High Jump T44
India put up a dominant performance in the men's high jump T44 event on Wednesday, as Praveen Kumar and Banti went on to clinch gold and silver medals, respectively. Paris Paralympics gold medalist Praveen Kumar scripted history by claiming the Games record.
Summary
India's Praveen Kumar won gold in the men's high jump T44/64 with a Games record at the Asian Para Games on Wednesday. He cleared 2.05m to finish on top.
India also took silver in the same event as Banti produced a personal best of 1.92m. Temurbek Giyazov of Uzbekistan finished third with 1.86m.
T64 and T44 athletes often compete together in a combined event. World Para Athletics groups lower-limb classes together to ensure enough competitors and fair competition.
T64 is for athletes who run with a prosthetic lower limb. T44 is for athletes with lower-limb impairments who run using two anatomical limbs without prostheses.
'I Was Here For The Record'
"I am feeling extremely good. I wanted to clear the 2.05m mark; I did it, and I am very happy," Praveen said after winning the gold medal.
Reflecting on his title defense, he revealed the hurdles he faced ahead of the event: "I was not very sure about defending the title, and neither was my coach. I got sick two weeks before the Games. My body was breaking down, and I wasn't able to recover fast or jump well. However, I wanted to bring glory to India, so beating the sickness was easy."
Speaking about his ultimate objective, Praveen added, "I wasn't just here for the gold—I was here to create a record."
Praveen Kumar has a long history of performing at the highest level. He won the silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics and upgraded it to gold in Paris, alongside a World Championships bronze medal to his name in 2025.
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