Kumar’s achievement is especially outstanding as he has not been capable of meet his Ukrainian coach, Nikitin Yevhen, for over two years as a result of ongoing battle between Russia and Ukraine.
Regardless of the difficult circumstances, Yevhen, who relies in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis positioned roughly 500km from the capital Kyiv, was getting ready to tears upon studying about his scholar’s success.
Below Yevhen’s steering, Kumar educated in Kharkiv from 2017 till simply earlier than his bronze medal-winning efficiency on the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. This silver medal in Paris marks Kumar’s second Paralympic medal, showcasing his dedication and resilience within the face of adversity.
“I spoke to him final night time, he’s very pleased (after studying Kumar’s feat). He despatched me an audio, he was virtually crying,” Kumar, who educated in Philippines earlier than the Paris Video games, stated, as quoted by PTI, on Wednesday.
“The battle has impacted me immensely, as a result of my coach has not been capable of be with me ever for the reason that battle began (in February 2022). Even once I was in Philippines, I used to be all the time having on-line chat with him.
“His blessings and his steering is all the time with me. On a regular basis I’m in contact with him, on daily basis.”
Kumar revealed to PTI shortly after the battle started in 2022 that he was deeply involved for the security of his coach, Yevhen, and was distressed upon studying that the realm subsequent to the residence the place he had lived throughout an prolonged coaching stint had been bombed.
He additionally shared that, throughout a dialog with Yevhen, he might hear the coach’s household crying within the background.
“It has been very troublesome for him (coach Yevhen). He can not transfer round, he’s alone, he’s the one man in the home as a result of his children are within the battle. It is a troublesome state of affairs,” stated Kumar on Wednesday.
Yevhen beforehand served as a coach with the Sports activities Authority of India.
Kumar, initially from Bihar, suffered paralysis in his left leg as a consequence of spurious polio treatment throughout an area eradication drive. He’s a two-time Asian Para Video games excessive leap champion (2014 and 2018) and a world silver medallist (2019).
He additionally holds a grasp’s diploma in worldwide relations from the famend Jawaharlal Nehru College in Delhi.
Three years in the past, in Tokyo, Kumar virtually withdrew from the T42 excessive leap ultimate as a consequence of a knee problem. Nonetheless, after calling his household in India and studying the Bhagavad Gita the night time earlier than, he was capable of overcome his nervousness and safe a bronze medal.
On Tuesday, Kumar confronted a fierce battle for supremacy in opposition to eventual gold medallist Freach Ezra of the USA, who cleared 1.94m.
Reflecting on his journey, Kumar remarked that sport is, in some ways, a type of artwork, however when intense competitors comes into play, it transforms right into a “battle.”
“Sport is an artwork until the time you’re comfy along with your podium end. It will get finer and finer the extra you practice, the extra you play,” stated Kumar.
“After a stage, it (sport) turns into a battle when there may be the aggressive factor. Yesterday was an excellent artwork in addition to battle.
“However I feel not simply two of us however all of the eight athletes carried out excellent. It was a deal with to everyone watching the sport proper from the primary leap until the final one.”
He acknowledged that para athletics in India is getting higher however the identical factor is going on in different nations additionally.
“It is getting higher and higher however the identical factor is going on in the entire world,” he stated with amusing.
“Excessive leap and javelin are getting higher in India, usually and in Paralympics, it is superb and beautiful, as I being the primary excessive jumper who has the potential of a podium.”
On the presence of huge crowd in Paris after close-door competitors in Tokyo as a consequence of COVID-19, Kumar stated, “They (crowd) motivates you and so they make you’re feeling like a star for some time. That’s the smartest thing and I feel most of us are longing for that.
“We labored exhausting and that’s the little second we get (recognition) for the exhausting work we had carried out and that’s very addictive.”