Paris Paralympic Gold Medalist Praveen Kumar Shares His Journey to the Khel Ratna and Future Goals

Para-athlete Praveen Kumar, who has been nominated for this year’s prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, recently opened up about his journey, the challenges he’s faced, and his future goals. 

In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, Praveen Kumar expressed his gratitude for the recognition and revealed his unwavering commitment to excellence.

Praveen Kumar’s emotions were clear when he first heard about his nomination for the Khel Ratna award. “When I first saw my name on the list after Coach Sir sent it to me, I felt immense happiness,” he shared. 

“Over the past year, we had been preparing with the belief that if I won gold at the World Championship, Asian Games, and Paris Paralympics, I would be honored with the Khel Ratna. Now that I am receiving this prestigious award, I feel both proud and deeply motivated for the upcoming challenges ahead.”

Praveen’s journey to success has not been without its struggles. One of the most significant challenges came early in his career when his category was changed in Switzerland from T42 to T44, a much more difficult category in para high jump. 

“It was a difficult moment, and I even thought about quitting sports. However, my coach motivated me to keep going,” Praveen recalled. “I adjusted my training and planning accordingly, and eventually, things started to fall into place.” 

Praveen Kumar’s journey serves as a source of inspiration for countless aspiring athletes. When asked about his message to them, he offered a powerful piece of advice: “Keep your goal fixed, and no matter what problems come in front of you, how many sacrifices you have to make, or how many fights you have to face, keep going forward and never give up on your goal. You will definitely achieve it.”

To maintain peak performance, Praveen Kumar follows a rigorous training schedule. His day is divided into two sessions, morning and evening, totaling around 7-8 hours of practice. Between these sessions, he focuses on nutrition and hydration, while also taking time to rest and recover.

“My training routine is such that both my morning and evening sessions combined total around 7-8 hours of practice, along with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In between, I keep drinking water and also take rest,” Praveen explained. “I constantly think about how to rectify any problems that arise in high jump and how to apply the solutions. That’s what my daily routine revolves around.”

Looking ahead, Praveen is focused on achieving even greater success. His next major target is the World Championship, which is set to take place in late September at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, the same venue where the interview was conducted. For Praveen, the goal is clear: to give his personal best and win gold.

“My next target is the World Championship, which is at the end of September, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the same stadium where we are right now. The target for that is to give my personal best and win gold. This is the goal for 2025,” he said.