Who is Shailesh Kumar? Indias first gold-medallist in World Para Athletics Championships 2025

New Delhi: Shailesh Kumar etched his name in the record book as he won the first Gold medal for India in the men's high jump T63 event in the World Para Athletics Championships 2025 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, September 27.

Shailesh bagged a gold medal and set a new championship record of 1.91m in the T42 category. He featured in the Asian Para Games 2022 at Hangzhou, China, where he also won the Gold medal with a clearance of 1.82m. Now, he broke his own record to deliver a historic performance.

The 25-year-old para athlete finished in fourth place at the Paris Paralympics 2024, narrowly missing out on the bronze medal.

Shailesh was born on August 8, 2000, in Bihar in an average middle-class family. He had faced significant challenges due to his disability and also felt alienated from the community.

However, his determination and spirit pushed him to pursue athletics. Shailesh also finished his studies, graduating with a degree in mathematics, to balance his academics and passion for sports.

A sports NGO, Olympic Gold Quest, has been supporting him to pursue his dreams. After winning a medal in the Asian Games, he was awarded a position of Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) in Bihar by the government.

Shailesh came into the limelight in 2022 when he won the National Championship in Bhubaneshwar. Later, he headed to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and secured a top position on the podium.

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In the 2023 Asian Games, the Indian star broke the longstanding record of Paralympic medallist Sharad Kumar with his brilliant leap of 1.82m.

He also won the silver medal in the previous edition of the World Para Athletics Championships in 2023 in Paris. But now he added another feather to his achievements by securing a top spot on the podium for India again.