Asian Para Games 2023: Shailesh Kumar clinches gold in men's T63 high jump

Thangavelu Mariappan and Padhiyar Govindbhai won silver and bronze medals.

India started the proceedings on the opening day of Asian Para Games 2023 in a bright note. Shailesh Kumar alongside Thangavelu Mariappan clinched gold and silver medals respectively in men's T63 high jump event.

Shailesh Kumar leapt a distance of 1.82m and in the process broke the Games record. Meanwhile, Thangavelu Mariappan created a season best mark at 1.80m. However, the event had only three participants and all the three turned out to be Indians.

Prior to the Para Asian Games, Shailesh Kumar had a eventful outing at the World Para Athletics championships bagging silver. In the National Championships held earlier in Pune, Shailesh went on to bag gold in high jump and silver in long jump.

Two-time Paralympic medalist, Thangavelu Mariappan, continued his good form at the multi sporting events. The athlete from Tamil Nadu rose to fame when he bagged gold at Rio Paralympics. He further went on to win silver at the Tokyo Paralympics. In 2017, he was awarded Padma Shri - fourth highest Indian national honour and in 2020 the Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award.

Monu Ghanghas in men's F11 shot put clinched bronze medal with a best throw of 12.33m. His compatriot Balaji Rajendran finished fifth by registering 11.56m. Apart from athletics, Para Canoe added a medal to India's medal tally. Prachi Yadav won silver in women's VL2 Para Canoeing by clocking 1:03.147. Earlier this year, Prachi qualified for the Paris Paralympics.

She also became the first-ever Indian athlete to qualify for Paracanoe at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.