Paralympic gold medallist high jumper Praveen Kumar received the Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu on Monday in New Delhi. The award was handed over during the Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Ranked world number one in para high jump, Kumar is recognised for his major achievements in international para athletics. Born with a physical disability, he earned silver in the men’s high jump T64 class at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021 and upgraded it to gold at the Paris Paralympic Games with a personal best of 2.08 metres. His Tokyo performance brought the Arjuna Award in 2021, while his Paris success led to the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in January 2025. Born in 2003, Praveen first played volleyball at school before switching to high jump. Despite initial hesitation from his teacher over his leg condition, he competed in the able-bodied category and won gold. Padma Awards rank among the nation’s top civilian honours and are presented in three grades: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. They cover fields including art, social work, public affairs, science, trade, medicine, literature, education, sports and civil service.
