New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Paralympic high jump champion Praveen Kumar has already set his sights on the next cycle, declaring the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games as his primary target as he looks to build on his growing list of international achievements.

Reflecting on his rise in para athletics, Praveen admitted he never imagined reaching the heights he has achieved.

“No, I didn’t think that I would reach this far,” he said in an upcoming episode of the Quest Talk podcast by iQOO. “There are many other targets left. So, I have to work on them as well. One of those goals is winning gold at the World Para Athletics Championships. In the World Championship, I don’t have gold yet. So in 2027, I will try to get gold in this,” Praveen said.

However, his primary focus remains on the next Paralympic Games. “And in 2028, LA is my main target,” he added.

Two-time Paralympic medalist Praveen also recounted how his journey in high jump began unexpectedly during his school days when he was studying in Class 9. “I was in the 9th class. I found out that there was a sports day for athletics. I had to choose an event, but I didn’t know what events were there,” he recalled.

After asking friends for advice, they suggested the high jump because of his volleyball background. “I used to play volleyball with them. I was a spiker and a defender. They told me my jump was good and said I should try high jump once,” he said.

His friends improvised a crossbar using a wooden stick, and Praveen cleared it comfortably. “They brought a wooden stick and held it from both sides. I crossed it at their chest and shoulder height. They told me to do this event,” he said.

The challenge, however, was that the competition selections had already ended two weeks earlier. School authorities initially refused to let him participate. “They directly refused me. They said this was for able-bodied athletes and that I could have problems because I was disabled. My mother asked me what happened. I told her I wanted to play, but they were not letting me because I was disabled,” he said.

Following intervention from his family and school management, Praveen was given another chance, but only after assuring officials that he would take responsibility for himself. “I told them, take my application, and I will take the responsibility. You won’t face any problem, but let me compete,” he said.

Even on competition day, some competitors objected to his participation. “They told the referee not to let me compete because I was disabled. But the teacher told them, ‘He will jump with one leg, while you have both legs. You should be able to do better,” Praveen recalled.

The objections were overruled, and Praveen went on to win a medal in his first-ever high jump competition. “In my mind, I got the medal, and what I wanted had happened. It was my first medal, and I still have it with me today,” he said.

That medal marked the beginning of a journey that eventually led him to Paralympic glory. Now, with a World Championship gold and Los Angeles 2028 firmly in his sights, Praveen is determined to add new chapters to that remarkable story.

–IANS

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