All you need to know about Sharad Kumar - India's Paralympics gold medal prospect 

Sharad Kumar is one of India's gold medal prospects at the Paralympics in Tokyo. The 29-year-old has been very successful in his career, but the only thing he lacks in his resume is the Paralympic gold.

He has been training extremely hard for years now to put an end to his agonizing wait for a podium finish. Ahead of the Paralympic Games, here are a few things you need to know about the high jumper.

-23 and training pic.twitter.com/P8WrWrWViN

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

Check out: Tokyo Paralympics to be India's best ever, says Deepa Malik

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#4 Sharad Kumar has been training abroad since 2017

Sharad Kumar could only manage a sixth-place finish at the Paralympics in Rio. He was agitated by the result and decided to come back strong and bag a medal at the Games 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).

#3 Sharad Kumar is a stock market enthusiast

Marking the occasion of World Disability Day today, we would like to take a moment and applaud all the differently-abled individuals out there in the world.The World Disability Day is an international observance promoted by the United Nations since 1992. pic.twitter.com/OzEXwanRKe

— GoSports Foundation (@GoSportsVoices) December 3, 2020

Sharad Kumar is an athlete funded by the TOPS scheme. He is also supported by the Go Sports Foundation. However, the high jumper himself invests in the stock market. He said that he has been investing since he was 17 and follows all the markets around the world.

While talking to PTI about his interest in the stock market, Sharad 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."

#2 How many medals has Sharad Kumar won in his career?

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

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

Sharad Kumar is an Asian Para Games double gold medalist. The high jumper broke the Asian Games record by pulling off a 1.80-meter jump in 2014. Just four years later, he broke his own record by cleanly executing a 1.90-meter jump.

The Indian also won a World Championship silver medal in 2017, where he finished second after a stunning 1.84-meter jump.

#1 What is Sharad Kumar's world ranking?

Sharad Kumar is currently the world number one in the T42 high jump event. He recorded his season-best jump of 1.76 meters at an event in Dubai earlier this year.