New Delhi: Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur on Tuesday felicitated Nishad Kumar who won a silver medal in Men’s High Jump category T47 in Tokyo Paralympics.
During the occasion, Anurag Thakur said, “India is ecstatic at the brilliant performance of our Paralympians. India has won its highest ever medal tally ever! We sent out the biggest contingent this year.”
“The unflinching support of our PM Narendra Modi towards sports has indeed motivated our athletes to give their best and I congratulate Nishad on his success,” he said.
Thakur said that Nishad had shown that with perseverance success can be attained at the highest level.
He further said that the government would continue to support India’s Paralympians with facilities and funding so that they may continue to excel internationally.
“I have an additional reason to be thrilled by Nishad’s success as he hails from my own state of Himachal Pradesh” he added.
Nishad Kumar said, “I could not believe that I had won a silver at the Paralympics. I asked four officials before I could actually believe it.”
He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring that the athletes have full support of the govt in anything they needed like diet, equipments and coaching.
“I feel honoured that I have been invited by the Sports Minister and he has met me and felicitated me on the very first day of my return to India. I have never had this experience before and now the feeling of the win is really sinking in,” said Kumar.
Born on October 3, 1999, Nishad Kumar hails from Badaun village in Una district, Himachal Pradesh. His father is a farmer while his mother is a housewife. When he was eight, he lost his right hand while cutting stubble in a machine. Earlier this year, he had also tested positive for coronavirus. This year, he made his maiden appearance in Tokyo Paralympics and won a silver medal with a jump of 2.06 metres.
