India’s Shailesh Kumar, Varun Bhati and Rahul Saroha swept all three medals in the men’s high jump T63 final at the Asian Para Games 2026 on Thursday, October 22. Competing at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Japan, the three Indians dominated the six-athlete field, turning the contest for gold, silver and bronze into an all-Indian battle.
Shailesh was the star of the show, clearing 1.89m to set a new Asian Para Games record. He broke the previous mark of 1.80m, set by India’s Sharad Kumar at the 2014 edition in Incheon, South Korea.
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Shailesh remained in close competition with Varun until the bar was raised to 1.84m. He then pulled away, clearing 1.87m and 1.89m to secure the gold medal and establish a new Games record.
Varun claimed silver, while Haryana’s Rahul took bronze. Both athletes registered season-best performances, completing a commanding Indian sweep in an event that brought together athletes from the T42 and T63 classifications.
The Philippines’ Edwin Enguito, Myanmar’s Zaw Min Tun and Pakistan’s Muhammad Nadeem finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
The sweep was India’s third podium clean sweep at the Games. Devender Kumar had earlier led an Indian sweep in the men’s discus throw F44/64 event, while Sachin Khilari spearheaded another in the men’s shot put F46 final.
SHAILESH ADDS TO HIS COLLECTION
The record-breaking performance added another milestone to Shailesh’s career. The high jumper from Bihar is one of India’s leading para-athletes, having won gold at the 2022 Asian Para Games and the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships.
At the World Championships in New Delhi last year, Shailesh cleared a personal-best 1.91m to win the world title and set championship and Asian records in his classification.
Born in August 2000 in Islam Nagar village in Bihar’s Jamui district, Shailesh contracted polio when he was five, leaving him with a permanent impairment in his right leg. He discovered his aptitude for jumping while competing alongside able-bodied athletes during his school years before progressing into para-athletics.
Away from the track, Shailesh has a degree in mathematics and works as a Child Development Project Officer in the Bihar government. His latest gold in Japan adds to a growing collection of international honours.
The Asian Para Games final also came a day after Shailesh won bronze in the men’s long jump T42/T61/T63 event. He cleared 5.57m to finish third, edging compatriot Mahendra Gurjar by just 0.01m.
VARUN BHATI’S PARALYMPIC LEGACY
Varun’s silver medal added to an international career that stretches back more than a decade. The high jumper from Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, won bronze at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, clearing 1.77m to finish on the podium.
He has also won three bronze medals at the World Para Athletics Championships, in 2017, 2023 and 2025. His achievements include a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games and the Arjuna Award, recognising his contribution to Indian sport.
Varun contracted polio at a young age, which left him with an impairment in his left leg. He went on to establish himself among India’s most accomplished para-high jumpers, combining consistency at major championships with a long career at the highest level.
His silver in Nagoya adds another continental medal to that record, with the veteran once again finishing on the podium alongside fellow Indian Shailesh.
RAHUL SAROHA COMPLETES THE SWEEP
For Rahul, the bronze medal was another step forward on the international stage. The Haryana athlete finished fourth in the men’s high jump at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, clearing a personal best of 1.78m.
That performance established him as a contender at major international events, and his season-best effort in Nagoya earned him a place on the Asian Para Games podium.
Rahul’s bronze completed a result that showcased India’s depth in para high jump. With Shailesh setting a new Games record and Varun adding another medal to his extensive international collection, the Indian trio occupied every place on the podium.
The sweep gave India another landmark result in para-athletics at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, with three athletes from the same country finishing first, second and third in a major continental final.
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