'I have been waiting for this day': Nishad Kumar reflects on golden moment in front of home crowd at World Para Athletics Championships

On his birthday, Nishad Kumar gifted himself the moment he had been waiting for his entire sporting career — a gold medal in front of his home crowd at the ongoing 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. The para high jumper, who had twice stood on the podium with silver medals in previous global meets, finally climbed to the top step, soaking in the cheers of his family, fans, and fellow athletes. “I have been waiting for this day for a long time, working hard for each and every minute. Today was finally that day, and I didn’t want to miss it,” Nishad said, still visibly emotional after his winning jump. “I have given my best, and it’s God’s will. No one can stop me.”

The victory was extra special — not just because it came on home soil, but because it followed years of near-misses. Nishad narrowly fell short of the world record, but he wasn’t disappointed. “If it was a world record, it would have been perfect. I was preparing for it in Paris, but sometimes I overthink. This time everything was perfect,” he said.

‘The world’s biggest weapon was behind me’

For Nishad, the presence of his family was a source of strength. “Today, the world’s biggest weapon was sitting behind me — my mother. I feel like I am fulfilling their dreams. When she did sports, there weren’t many facilities. Today, I have the world’s best facilities, and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.” He admitted that missing the world record attempt in Paris still lingered, but he was determined to set the record straight in front of home supporters. “I missed that opportunity in Paris. But I didn’t want to miss it here. If my jump had fallen short today, my statement would have lagged — but I was ready. It’s like I wrote it in my previous life that I would do it today.”

Beating His Longtime Rival

Nishad’s journey to gold was made even more remarkable by defeating his long-time American rival, Roderick Townsend whom he had watched compete back in Rio 2016. “I’m happy for him too. It’s a great achievement for me to beat him for the first time. I remember watching him in 2016 and knowing he would be my competitor. This year, he jumped 10–12 times in front of me, but my coach reminded me — this isn’t our target.” After years of silver medals, Nishad finally has gold to display alongside them. “I already have two silver medals. They’re on the shelf, and I haven’t even looked at them since I placed them there. I’ve been waiting for this gold for many years,” he smiled.