Asian Para Games: India sweep men's high jump T63 medals, Shailesh Kumar wins gold

Indian athletes put in a superb show in the men's high jump T63 final at the Asian Para Games 2026. In the event held on Thursday, India won all three medals, a clean sweep.

Shailesh Kumar won gold with a jump of 1.89 metres. Varun Bhati cleared 1.84 metres to finish second and take silver. Rahul won bronze with a personal best of 1.81 metres.

By winning all three medals in the men's high jump T42/T63, India repeated its 2022 performance. This is the third time at these Games that India has won all three medals in an event. Earlier, Indian athletes had swept the men's discus throw F44/F64 led by Devendra Kumar, and the men's shot put F46 final led by Sachin Khilari.

Varun Bhati is a para high jumper from Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics he jumped 1.86 metres to win bronze in the men's high jump T42, a major international achievement of his career.

Varun then won bronze at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships. At the 2018 Asian Para Games he won silver with a jump of 1.82 metres. At the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships, held recently in New Delhi, he won bronze in the men's high jump T63 with a jump of 1.85 metres.

Earlier the same day, India also won two medals in the 400 metres T47. Anjanaben Bambhadiya won gold, finishing the race in 59.97 seconds. Jayanti Behera took silver with a time of 1 minute 00.65 seconds. Indian athletes thus continued their run of medals at the Asian Para Games.