Sharad Kumar determined to end his long wait for a Paralympic medal 

Sharad Kumar has been an active part of the para-sports circuit in India for a long time now. The 29-year-old has had an illustrious career and is also currently ranked World Number.1 in the high jump F43 event. His journey to being a top para-athlete has not been all that easy.

-23 and training pic.twitter.com/P8WrWrWViN

— Sharad Kumar #tokyo2020 (@sharad_kumar01) January 16, 2021

Sharad Kumar was detected with polio at a young age

Sharad Kumar was injected with a spurious polio medicine as a kid, which caused his left leg to become paralyzed for the remainder of his life. It was his brother who motivated him to take up the sport of high jump in 2005.

While he was studying at St Paul's School in Darjeeling, he started high-jump and instantly fell in love with it. He was a menace at the junior level and broke all the records there. After immense success at the junior level, Sharad knew that he had it in him to compete at the top level.

Sharad Kumar's brilliance in international competitions

Sharad Kumar made his international debut in 2010. He managed to qualify for the London Paralympics. However, he suffered a major setback when he tested positive for a banned substance. The high jumper was given a two-year ban. Speaking to the Paralympic website on the disappointment of 2012, Shard Kumar said:

"I was devastated when I got to know about the doping charges against me. I felt ashamed that I would have to fight a doping case and miss the opportunity to participate in the London Paralympics. It was almost impossible to prove my innocence to the committee and the ban was inevitable. Those two years were a nightmare for me, but they have taught me a lot about the challenges of being a sportsperson in India."

On his return to international sports, the Indian shined at the 2014 Asian Para Games, where he broke the Asian record with a 1.80 meter jump. Just 4 years later he returned to the same competition with renewed spirit. The Indian executed a jaw-dropping 1.90 meter jump at the 2018 Asian Para Games to once again break the record and create a new PB.

Sharad Kumar's disappointing campaign in Rio

Sharad Kumar went into the Rio Paralympics as one of the favorites to win a medal. He was one of the top ranked para-athletes and had a sensational year in the build up to the games. However, he failed to get onto the podium. Sharad was outclassed by his opponents and could only manage a 6th place finish. The missed chance really hurt Sharad. He knew that he could be much better and decided to train harder for the Paralympics in Tokyo.

The high jumper flew to Ukraine in 2017 to train in Kharkiv under coach Nikitin Yevhen, who was earlier a coach for the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The move slowly started to show great promise as Sharad was doing great in international competitions. He completed the first step, ie: qualifying for the Paralympics, in style. The Indian won the silver at the World Championships in Dubai, which helped him book his place for the games in Tokyo.

enjoyable weather training !!@ParalympicIndia @Paralympics @ParaAthletics @kheloindia @KirenRijiju @Media_SAI @GoSportsVoices pic.twitter.com/GFkOLimOSX

— Sharad Kumar #tokyo2020 (@sharad_kumar01) October 20, 2020

The Indian got stuck in Ukraine during the lockdown, but that didn't seem to hamper his confidence. He spent his free time learning about stock markets around the world. Speaking to PTI about his interest in the stock market, Sharad Kumar said:

"I am following stock exchanges on the internet. I started investing in stock market shares since I was a 17-year-old. So, I surf internet and collect information on stocks and shares."We athletes need extra income. I am a SAI coach, but any additional income is welcome. The share markets are going down these days due to the coronavirus and it is good for investors in stock market if you put money intelligently."

Can Sharad Kumar end his long wait for a Paralympic medal?

Sharad Kumar started off 2021 with a silver medal at the Fazza Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai. He is looking extremely confident and has been tirelessly preparing for the event for over 4 years now. The Indian will be up against some of the best jumpers in the world. However, Sharad Kumar is an experienced campaigner. If he replicates his brilliance from international competitions at the Para Games, there is no stopping him from winning the medal that has eluded him for his whole career.