Para-athletes from Noida strike double gold in national tourney

Noida: Para-athletes from the city made a stellar start at the National Para Athletics Tournament in Chennai, with Olympians Varun Singh Bhati and Praveen Kumar securing gold medals in the high jump on day one. The duo from Greater Noida is among 10 local athletes competing in the national event.
Anita Nagar, chief coach of the Uttar Pradesh para team, said, "Over 100 athletes from the state are taking part in the event, of which 10 para-athletes are participating in the games from Noida."
Praveen Kumar, who competed in the men's T-64 high jump category and won gold at 1.86 m, was conferred the prestigious Khel Ratna on Jan 17 this year. In 2021, Kumar won silver in the Tokyo Paralympics and bettered that with a gold at the Paris Paralympics in 2024. He is a native of Jewar and currently resides in Delhi.
"I trained for the national games since I came back from the Paris Paralympics. I am feeling proud representing my state and district at the national games," Kumar told TOI.
Meanwhile, para high jumper Varun Singh Bhati, of Jamalpur village in Dankaur and currently residing in Noida's Sector 93, won the gold in the T-42 high jump category at 1.88 m. "This is my personal best, and I am thrilled to get the gold for Uttar Pradesh at the national games," he told TOI.
However, he could not participate in 2024 due to an injury.
The championship is being participated in by 1,476 para-athletes from across India, competing in 155 events under 30 teams, making it one of the largest para-athletics gatherings in the country.