Praveen Kumar breaks Asian Para Games record to win high jump T64 gold

NAGOYA — India’s Praveen Kumar smashed the Asian Para Games record to win gold in the men’s high jump T44/64 at the Asian Para Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday morning.

The defending Paralympic champion and two-time Paralympic medallist broke the Games record twice, first clearing 2.00m and then sealing the gold with a 2.05m leap on his third and final attempt, according to News18’s live updates and Sportstar. Praveen had earlier matched the previous Games mark of 1.95m — set by Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov at Jakarta 2018 — before raising it.

Compatriot Banti completed a memorable Indian one-two, taking silver with a personal best of 1.92m. Giyazov finished third with 1.86m, PTI reported.

The T44 and T64 classes — for athletes with lower-limb impairments, the latter competing with a prosthetic — are grouped in a combined event to ensure a competitive field, PTI noted.

Earlier in the morning, Ayush Verma had given India its 10th gold of the Games, winning the men’s shot put F53 with a best throw of 8.16m on his fifth attempt. It was his second medal of the edition after Tuesday’s javelin F53/54 bronze, PTI reported. Iran’s Alireza Hemami took silver with 8.09m.