Beyond Silver: Nishad Kumar aims for gold at Stade de France

The Paris Paralympics 2024 is set to commence on the 28th of August and India is sending its biggest contingent ever.

Nishad Kumar is one such athlete from the contingent carrying hope for a medal and further breaking his streak of silver medals.

Competing in the T47 category (athletes with unilateral upper limb impairments), Nishad's journey to the top has been nothing short of inspiring.

Nishad Kumar lost his right hand below the elbow in a farm accident when he was eight years old. He accidentally put his hand in a fodder-cutting machine, which led to amputation.

He never let the incident take over himself and took up athletics early in life.

Going way back to 2013 competing at the sub-junior nationals Nishad won a silver that was held in Patiala.

It was in 2017 when Nishad decided to give para-athletics a proper chance. He achieved a silver at the National Para-Athletics Championship under the guidance of Naseem Ahamad, the coach of Neeraj Chopra.

Soon, Nishad made a significant leap in his career by winning a bronze at the 2019 World Para-athletics Championship, which he further improved upon by securing a silver at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Nishad has been consistently improving, and he recently became the first able-bodied athlete in half a decade to participate in the 2022 National Games in Gujarat. However, he narrowly missed finishing on the podium.

Nishad Kumar showcased his unwavering determination by securing two consecutive silver medals in the high jump T47 category at the World Para Athletics Championships, first in Paris in 2023 and then again in Kobe in 2024.

Even though Nishant continues with his silver streak, gold has been underlying. Now let us look at Nishad's recent jumps and compare him to his biggest rivals.

Nishad vs The World 

Nishad achieved his personal best of 2.14m during the 2022 National Games. He holds the Asian record in the T-47 High jump event at 2.09m.

Going by the recent performances Nishad has consistently been clearing the 2.00m mark, which already puts him ahead of the competition. 

But having said that, there's a bunch of athletes who, on any given day, could take the medal from Nishad.

Roderick Townsend of the United States of America will be the biggest threat to Nishad. Roderick holds the world para record for the T-47 category with a 2.16m jump. 

However, Roderick's recent form may come as a respite to Nishad, following Roderick's failure to clear the 2.10m mark during the 2024 Kobe World Para-Athletics Championship. 

Another American who'll be in the hunt for medals will be Dallas Wise, the same athlete with whom Nishad had to share the silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics. 

One can never overlook the Chinese athletes, and Chen Hongjie, with four Paralympics and multiple medals under his belt, will come up with challenges for Nishad as well. 

India's Rampal Chahar and French Alexandre Dipoko-Ewane will also be formidable contenders, making the competition fierce and the battle for the podium intense.

With the field filled with such talented and accomplished athletes, the T-47 High Jump event promises to be a thrilling showcase of skill, determination, and a challenge to overcome for Nishad and further break his silver streak.