New Delhi: High jumper Shailesh Kumar opened India’s gold medal account at the World Para Athletics Championships with a shock win while the unheralded Thekra Alkaabi of United Arab Emirates (UAE) shattered the world record in the relatively new women’s 100m frame running event in New Delhi. The 25-year-old Shailesh, the 2023 Asian Para Games champion, cleared 1.91m to shatter the championships record and win the men’s high jump T63 event on the opening day of the showpiece which saw two world records being broken.
He beat T63 world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Ezra Frech of the USA, who took the silver with 1.85m.
Born to a farming family at Islamnagar village in Jamui district of Bihar, Shailesh’s right foot was infected with polio when he was a kid.
“I used to compete with able-bodied athletes when I was in school. People told me why I was playing sports. They would say ‘do a job or do something else’,” Shailesh said after the win.
“But I saw in the 2016 Rio Paralympics that this game happens in my category, then I decided to start in para sports,” he added. Agencies
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