Indian para-athlete Praveen Kumar secured a gold medal for the country at the ongoing Paris Paralympics in the men’s high jump final on Friday.

In the medal round, Praveen achieved a record-breaking jump of 2.08 meters, setting a new Asian record. The silver and bronze positions were claimed by the USA’s Derek Loccident, with a jump of 2.06 meters, and Uzbekistan’s Temurbek Giyazov, who cleared 2.03 meters, respectively.

Derek also broke the previous Paralympic record set by Japan’s Toru Suzuki in 2021 (1.88 meters), while Giyazov recorded a personal best.

With this medal, India’s tally at the ongoing Paralympics has reached 26, comprising six gold, nine silver, and 11 bronze medals.

This marks India’s highest gold medal count at a Paralympic Games, surpassing the five golds won at Tokyo 2020.