has made a habit of winning high jump accolades over the years, including gold medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou and the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi.
So, he was confident of defending his Asian Para Games title at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. However, an unexpected triumph a day before the event gave his confidence a massive boost.
Another feather in his hat
Until the morning of October 19, Nishad was known as one of India’s finest para high jumpers. By the end of the day, however, he had added another feather to his cap, winning gold in his first major international long jump competition with an effort of 7.11m.
The adrenaline rush from this unexpected success carried over to the next day, when he clinched gold in the T47 high jump event, defending his title with a Games Record leap of 2.04m.
“I was always confident of defending my high jump title, but after winning the long jump event, my adrenaline shot up and my confidence went through the roof. I’m very happy that I could defend my title and return home with two gold medals,” Nishad, 27, who hails from Badaun village in Himachal Pradesh, told mid-day recently.
Injury opens up new avenue
What makes his long jump triumph even more remarkable is that he took up the discipline less than a year ago, only because a knee injury prevented him from training in his preferred event.
“I didn’t think a gold medal was possible in long jump, but in December last year, I decided to compete in the event after looking at historical competition records and realising that a medal was within my reach. I took up long jump because I was nursing a knee injury that prevented me from practising high jump. The latter requires you to bend your knee at a 60-degree angle,” he explained.
Despite his recent success, Nishad has no intention of resting on his laurels for long. His disciplined approach to life may stem from his upbringing in a farming family. “Having worked on the farm from a young age, I developed a disciplined mindset. Waking up early, helping out on the farm before going to school, and then returning home to help with household chores made me mentally and physically strong. It helped me shut out the naysayers and gave me the confidence to push my body to its limits in training,” said Nishad, who lost his right arm at the age of eight after it got caught in an automatic fodder-cutting machine.
He also credits his mother, Pushpa Devi, for supporting his decision to take up athletics during his school days, just a year after he lost his arm.
‘Never felt incapable’
“Growing up, I never felt I was any less capable than my peers, and that was because my mother never let me feel that way. I never heard her say that I couldn’t do something that a person with all their limbs could do. She even trusted me when I told her I wanted to make a career in athletics. Since then, it has been about repaying that faith through my performances,” Nishad said.
His next target is to win gold in both disciplines at next year’s World Para Championships in Uzbekistan. But before turning his attention to that challenge, he plans to enjoy “a month of rest and some lovely home-cooked food made by my mother.”
What is T47 category in para athletics?
The T47category features athletes with upper limb (or limbs) deficiency resulting in impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement.