Kumar’s achievement is particularly remarkable as he has not been able to meet his Ukrainian coach, Nikitin Yevhen, for over two years due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Yevhen, who is based in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city located approximately 500km from the capital Kyiv, was on the brink of tears upon learning about his student’s success.
Under Yevhen’s guidance, Kumar trained in Kharkiv from 2017 until just before his bronze medal-winning performance at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. This silver medal in Paris marks Kumar’s second Paralympic medal, showcasing his dedication and resilience in the face of adversity.
“I spoke to him last night, he is very happy (after learning Kumar’s feat). He sent me an audio, he was almost crying,” Kumar, who trained in Philippines before the Paris Games, said, as quoted by PTI, on Wednesday.
“The war has impacted me immensely, because my coach has not been able to be with me ever since the war started (in February 2022). Even when I was in Philippines, I was always having online chat with him.
“His blessings and his guidance is always with me. All the time I am in touch with him, every day.”
Kumar revealed to PTI shortly after the war began in 2022 that he was deeply concerned for the safety of his coach, Yevhen, and was distressed upon learning that the area next to the apartment where he had lived during an extended training stint had been bombed.
He also shared that, during a conversation with Yevhen, he could hear the coach’s family crying in the background.
“It has been very difficult for him (coach Yevhen). He cannot move around, he is alone, he is the only man in the house because his kids are in the war. It’s a difficult situation,” said Kumar on Wednesday.
Yevhen previously served as a coach with the Sports Authority of India.
Kumar, originally from Bihar, suffered paralysis in his left leg due to spurious polio medication during a local eradication drive. He is a two-time Asian Para Games high jump champion (2014 and 2018) and a world silver medallist (2019).
He also holds a master’s degree in international relations from the renowned Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.
Three years ago, in Tokyo, Kumar almost withdrew from the T42 high jump final due to a knee issue. However, after calling his family in India and reading the Bhagavad Gita the night before, he was able to overcome his anxiety and secure a bronze medal.
On Tuesday, Kumar faced a fierce battle for supremacy against eventual gold medallist Freach Ezra of the USA, who cleared 1.94m.
Reflecting on his journey, Kumar remarked that sport is, in many ways, a form of art, but when intense competition comes into play, it transforms into a “war.”
“Sport is an art till the time you are comfortable with your podium finish. It gets finer and finer the more you train, the more you play,” said Kumar.
“After a stage, it (sport) becomes a war when there is the competitive thing. Yesterday was a good art as well as war.
“But I think not just two of us but all the eight athletes performed outstanding. It was a treat to everybody watching the game right from the first jump till the last one.”
He acknowledged that para athletics in India is getting better but the same thing is happening in other countries also.
“It’s getting better and better but the same thing is happening in the whole world,” he said with a laugh.
“High jump and javelin are getting better in India, generally and in Paralympics, it’s amazing and lovely, as I being the first high jumper who has the potential of a podium.”
On the presence of big crowd in Paris after close-door competition in Tokyo due to COVID-19, Kumar said, “They (crowd) motivates you and they make you feel like a star for a while. That is the best thing and I think most of us are craving for that.
“We worked hard and that is the little moment we get (recognition) for the hard work we had done and that is very addictive.”
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