When Paralympian Praveen Kumar takes to the field at the Indian Oil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships later this month, it won’t just be about clearing the bar — it will be about rising to the moment, in front of his own people, on the biggest stage India has ever hosted for para athletics.
The championships, set for September 27 to October 5 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, mark a homecoming for one of India’s brightest stars in the T64 high jump category.
Praveen’s journey is already etched in para sporting history. A silver at the 2019 Junior World Championships put him on the map. Another silver followed at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Determined to climb higher, he struck gold at the Asian Para Games, then battled to a bronze at the 2023 World Championships. His finest leap came in Paris 2024, where he soared 2.08m to win Paralympic gold and set a new Asian record.
“Jumping in front of the home crowd will be unforgettable,” Praveen says with quiet confidence. “The training has been tough, especially moving between venues while JLN Stadium was being prepared. But that taught me adaptability. Now, with the new Mondo track, I feel ready. The energy of the fans will give me that extra push to go higher than ever.”
With Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium under renovation, Praveen had to adjust his routine between the Thyagaraj Complex and Vinod Nagar Sports Complex. Each move tested his rhythm, but he turned the disruption into discipline proof of the resilience that has defined his career.
The Indian Oil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships will see 2,200 athletes and staff from more than 104 countries, competing across 186 medal events. For many, including Praveen, it is more than a medal chase it is also a key qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
For Praveen, every medal so far has carried the weight of his journey. But this one could mean more than all the others: a gold medal on home soil, lifted by the voices of thousands in the stands.
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