Asian Para Games: Shailesh Kumar leads India’s medal tally in T63 high jump final

India’s Shailesh Kumar, Varun Bhati and Rahul Saroha swept all three medals in the men’s high jump T63 final at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Thursday, October 22. Competing at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Japan, the three Indians dominated a field of six athletes, turning the entire bronze medal event into gold and silver.

Shailesh was the star of the show, clearing 1.89m to create a new Asian Para Games record. It broke the previous mark of 1.80m set by India’s Sharad Kumar at the 2014 edition in Incheon, South Korea.

Asian Para Games 2026: Live Updates October 22

Shailesh remained in close competition with Varun until the bar was raised to 1.84m. He then pulled away and cleared 1.87m and 1.89m to clinch the gold medal and set a new Games record.

Varun won silver while Haryana’s Rahul won bronze. Both athletes posted season-best performances to complete a commanding Indian sweep at the event, which brought together athletes from the T42 and T63 classifications.

The Philippines’ Edwin Enguito, Myanmar’s Zaw Min Tun and Pakistan’s Muhammad Nadeem finished fourth, fifth and sixth.

The sweep was India’s third clean sweep at the Games. Devender Kumar earlier led the Indian meet in men’s discus throw F44/64, while Sachin Khilari led another in the men’s F46 throw final.

SHAILESH ADDS TO COLLECTION

The record-breaking performance added another milestone to Shailesh’s career. The high jumper from Bihar is one of India’s leading para-athletes, having won gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games and the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.

At the World Championships in New Delhi last year, Shailesh cleared a personal best of 1.91m, won the world title and created championship and Asian records in his classification.

Born in August 2000 in Islam Nagar village in Bihar’s Jamui district, Shailesh contracted polio at the age of five, leaving him with permanent damage to his right leg. He discovered his talent for jumping while competing alongside able-bodied athletes during his school years before progressing to para-athletics.

Off track, Shailesh holds a degree in Mathematics and works as a Project Manager for Child Development in the Government of Bihar. His latest gold in Japan adds to a growing collection of international honors.

The final of the Asian Para Games also came a day after Shailesh won bronze in the men’s long jump T42/T61/T63. He cleared 5.57m to finish third, beating compatriot Mahendra Gurjar by just 0.01m.

VARUN BHATI’S PARALYMPIC LEGACY

Varun’s silver medal added to an international career spanning more than a decade. The high jumper from Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh won bronze at the 2016 Rio Paralympics when he cleared 1.77m and finished on the podium.

He has also won three bronze medals at the World Para Athletics Championships in 2017, 2023 and 2025. His achievements include a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games and the Arjuna Award, which recognizes his contribution to Indian sports.

Varun contracted polio at a young age, which damaged his left leg. He went on to establish himself among India’s most accomplished para-high jumpers, combining consistency at major championships with a long career at the highest level.

His silver in Nagoya added another continental medal to that record as the veteran again finished on the podium alongside fellow Indian Shailesh.

RAHUL SAROHA COMPLETES THE SWEEP

For Rahul, the bronze medal was another step forward on the international stage. The Haryana athlete finished fourth in the men’s high jump at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, clearing a personal best of 1.78m.

This performance made him a contender for major international events and his best performance of the season in Nagoya earned him a podium finish at the Asian Para Games.

Rahul’s bronze completed a result that showcased India’s depth in the Para High Jump. With Shailesh setting a new Games record and Varun adding another medal to his extensive international collection, the Indian trio took every place on the podium.

The sweep gave India another major result in para-athletics at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, where three athletes from the same country finished first, second and third in the main continental finals.

– The end