| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 August 2000 Islamnagar, Jamui, Bihar, India |
| Education | Bachelor of Mathematics |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Para-athletics |
| Disability class | T42/63 |
| Event(s) | High jump |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 1.91 m CR |
Medal record | |
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Shailesh Kumar (born 8 August 2000) is an Indian para-athlete who specializes in high jump.[1] He won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games and the 2025 World Championships in the men's high jump T63 event.[2][3] Kumar also represented India at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where he narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish in the same event.
Early life and background[edit | edit source]
Kumar hails from Islamnagar in Aliganj block, Jamui district, Bihar.[4] In T63 classification, athletes with a single leg above the knee amputation compete with a prosthesis.
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Kumar was born to Pratima Devi and Shivnandan Yadav and has two brothers. He did his graduation in Mathematics. He is currently being supported by Olympic Gold Quest, a sports NGO.
Career[edit | edit source]
He also represented India at the World Para Athletics Championships at Paris in July 2023 and won a silver medal.[5] He qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He won the National Championship at Bhubaneswar in March 2022.[6]
He also broke the nine-year-old Asian Para Games record of 1.80m set by Paralympics medalist Sharad Kumar in 2014.[7] Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kumar for winning the gold medal.[1][8] He is currently serving as a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) in the State of Bihar.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Chatterjee, Triyasha (31 August 2024). "Who is Shailesh Kumar? All you need to know about the Indian high jump athlete competing at the Paris 2024 Paralympics". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ↑ "Asian Para Games 2023: Pranav Soorma, Shailesh Kumar clinch gold". The Times of India. 23 October 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ↑ Sportstar, Team (27 September 2025). "Shailesh Kumar wins India's first gold medal at World Para Athletics Championships 2025". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ↑ "Champions: Indian para athletes register a record medal haul of 111 at Hangzhou in China". www.thetribune.com. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ↑ "Asian Para Games: Shailesh Kumar wins gold, Mariyappan Thangavelu secures silver in High Jump-T63 event". www.aninews.in. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ↑ "Asian Para Games 2023: Shailesh Kumar clinches gold in men's T63 high jump". Khel Now. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ↑ "Asian Para Games: Shailesh Kumar wins high jump gold with Games record". thebridge.in. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ↑ "Exceptional, monumental: PM Modi hails Indian athletes' performances at Asian Para Games". The Economic Times. 23 October 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 15 January 2024.