Asian Para Games: Nishad Kumar won gold in long jump with a dominant performance

India’s two-time Paralympic silver medalist Nishad Kumar clinched gold in the men’s long jump T47 final at the Asian Para Games on Monday with a best performance of 7.11m to claim first place and give India its second gold medal of the day.Known primarily for his achievements in the high jump, Nishad showed his versatility by making a strong impact in the long jump competition. He opened with an effort of 6.95m before moving into commanding position with a jump of 7.09m in his second attempt.The Indian athlete then improved further, clearing 7.11m in his third attempt to strengthen his hold on the lead. Although his fourth attempt was flagged for a foul, Nishad cleared his best distance of 7.11m in the fifth round to ensure his rivals had a tough target to overcome.He finished the competition with a jump of 7.07m on his sixth and final attempt, ending his campaign with a gold medal.Uzbekistan’s Omadbek Khasanov finished second with a season’s best of 6.99m, finishing behind Nishad in the final standings.Nishad is a two-time Paralympic silver medalist in the high jump who has established himself among India’s leading para-athletes. His gold in the long jump adds another significant achievement to his career and underscores his ability to compete across disciplines.The win also continued India’s positive start at the Asian Para Games, with Nishad becoming the country’s second gold medalist on Monday.Earlier, Mona Agarwal won gold in the women’s 10m air rifle (SH1) after staging a thrilling comeback to beat compatriot Avani Lekhar in the final. The result gave India a one-two finish, with Avani settling for silver.Mona, a bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, climbed from sixth place to set an Asian Para Games record of 250.0 points. She finished just 0.4 points ahead of Avani, who scored 249.6.Avani, a two-time Paralympic champion, entered the competition as the defending champion but had to settle for silver as Mona produced a decisive performance in the final.