Would have been nice to see more para-athletes get Khel Ratna: Praveen Kumar

New Delhi: Para high-jumper Praveen Kumar is glad to be among the four Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardees thanks to his gold-winning show in the Paris Paralympics but he says he would have been happier if more para-athletes were picked for the country's highest sporting honour.

Praveen will be bestowed the Khel Ratna along with three able-bodied athletes — double Olympic medal-winning shooter Manu Bhaker, chess world champion D Gukesh and Paris Games bronze-winning men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh.

Some para-athletes like archer Harvinder Singh, who turned his Tokyo Games bronze into a gold in Paris last year, have expressed their disappointment at not being considered for Khel Ratna. This was after India's record-shattering 29-medal haul in Paris Paralympics, including seven gold.

In an interview, Praveen said he would have been happier if some of the Paris Games medallists too received the Khel Ratna but did not take any names.

"I will only tell them not to lose heart and keep giving good performances. Only one Khel Ratna has been give to para-sports and this number should have been more. I would have liked if two-three more had been awarded the Khel Ratna," he said.

The 21-year-old, who was born with a congenital condition in his legs, which left both of them "very weak" and one of them shorter than the other.

He needed regular physiotherapy and his father became his biggest support after doctors told him that there was 90 per cent possibility of him needing crutches to walk.

Praveen said he always wanted to compete with able-bodied athletes despite knowing well that it would be a "very tough task". Praveen dazzled with a record-breaking performance in the men's high jump T64 event in Paris, adding a Paralympic gold to his Tokyo Games silver.

The athlete, who resides in New Delhi's South Extension and trains seven to eight hours at the Jawaharlal Nehu Stadium, is now hoping to win gold in the World Para Athletics Championships scheduled in the national capital later this year.

"I feel very proud about achieving success at the Olympics and getting the Khel Ratna Award for my success. It is a dream come true for me. This award will motivate me to go for gold at the World Para Athletics Championships on my home ground," Praveen said.

As a child, Praveen often grappled with feelings of inadequacy and took to sports to counter his insecurities. Praveen has been coached by Satyapal since 2018.

"Coach saab's flat and my flat are in the same building. I have been coaching under him since 2018. He has guided me to all the success I've achieved and he will remain my coach in future as well," said Praveen.

"I crave for respect which a normal person get, that's why I compete with able-bodied athletes. I want to tell people that para athletes are not that weak. I won the U23 junior national gold and gave the selection trials for the Paris Olympics in Panchkula as well," he recalled.

Praveen's life changed when he took part in a high jump event at an able-bodied athletics competition. This experience exposed him to the vast opportunities available for athletes with disabilities, igniting a new and inspiring trajectory in his journey.

The champion has also debunked the popular belief that success in his discipline depends on an athlete's height. Standing at a modest 5'7", he doesn't quite fit the mould of a high jumper.

"Yes, I've been told that a high jumpers should be tall if he wants to succeed. That's what science says. (But) I have power. I have played volleyball and done a lot of cycling besides playing cricket in my childhood.

"So, that explosive power has come from there," said Praveen who hails from Govindgarh in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.

Having achieved success at Tokyo and Paris, Praveen is now committed to giving a personal-best performance at the Worlds in New Delhi in September.

"My focus is on the Worlds taking place in Delhi and I am aiming to give my personal best. For that I am working on power, endurance and several other aspects of my physical fitness," he says.