Just last year, Shailesh Kumar faced a crushing disappointment with a fourth-place finish at the Paris Paralympics, a setback that took him over two months to overcome. But on Saturday, September 27, 2025, his story took a glorious turn. At the World Para Athletics Championships, he delivered a stunning upset, defeating America’s Ezra Frech – the very athlete who stood atop the podium in Paris – to claim a gold medal. More than just a victory, Shailesh also etched his name in the record books, setting a new championship high jump record with an incredible leap of 1.91 meters.
The 25-year-old athlete from Jamui district in Bihar, a former Junior World Para Champion in 2019 and a silver medalist in 2023, radiated happiness following his stellar performance. Yet, he made it clear that this was just the beginning. Having already secured the gold with a jump of 1.88m, Shailesh pushed himself further, attempting to clear 1.94m before narrowly missing it. Reflecting on the moment, he shared, “That was the target, but it didn’t quite happen. The weather was also a bit hot, humid, and tiring. Still, I’m confident I can achieve that height in my next competition.”
Shailesh acknowledged that competing on home soil provided a significant advantage. “The first special thing was being on home ground; the support was incredible,” he explained. “Secondly, the Indian weather, which we’re used to from our training, was a big plus. And honestly, not getting Indian food when we travel abroad makes a difference, so that helped a lot too!”
His Junior title was a pivotal moment, opening doors to the Khelo India scheme. That same year, he began training at the Gandhinagar SAI Centre, where he still trains part-time, alongside the SAI Centre in Bangalore. For the past two years, he has also been a TOPS athlete, benefiting immensely from the financial assistance provided – 10,000 rupees per month through Khelo India and 50,000 rupees under TOPS.
Meanwhile, sharing the spotlight was Varun Bhati, a name that once shone brightly as a 21-year-old prodigy, clinching bronze at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. However, the years that followed presented a significant challenge, with his last international medal dating back to the 2018 Para Asian Games. Now 30, Bhati openly confessed the arduous journey: “To be honest, I haven’t slept properly in the last 7-8 years. I will finally be able to do so tonight.”
Despite his high hopes for this competition, Bhati expressed satisfaction with his bronze medal. “This has been the most successful year of my life so far, and it feels great to be back,” he stated. He attributed his resurgence to several changes, including his younger brother taking on the role of his strength and conditioning coach, experimenting with new training techniques, and a 45-day technical training stint in the USA. Bhati concluded with renewed determination: “I am hopeful of performing much better in the upcoming Asian Games and the next Paralympics.”