For Nishad Kumar, a para-athlete from Una, winning medals at major international sporting events has become a habit. However, his performance at the ongoing Para Asian Games in Japan has particularly impressed his childhood coach, Naseem Ahmad. Nishad has won gold medals in both events he has competed in — the long jump and the high jump.While he already has two silver medals from the 2020 and 2024 Paralympics and a gold medal from the 2022 Asian Games, his latest feat further cements his place among India’s finest para-athletes.“Winning gold medals in two events at this level is incredible. Not many athletes are able to achieve this feat. He is at the top of his game and has made all of us proud,” said Ahmad, who coached Nishad for three to four years during the initial years of his career at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula.For Ahmad, however, the most astonishing part of Nishad’s performance was his gold medal in the long jump. “I was stunned when I learnt that he had won gold in the long jump. I just couldn’t believe my ears,” he said.Explaining his surprise, Ahmad said Nishad was primarily a high jumper and had trained for the event since the beginning of his career. He had no formal training in the long jump and had participated in the event only occasionally at the national level before winning gold at the Para Asian Games. “That’s just amazing,” said Ahmad, who has also coached India’s star javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra.Born and brought up in Una in a humble family, Nishad lost his hand in a machine accident when he was just seven years old. Despite the setback, he continued to pursue athletics at school. His parents, despite their limited financial means, encouraged him to follow his passion for sports.“After he passed out of school, his parents brought him to me at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in 2016. They had heard about para-sports and decided to give their son an opportunity in the field,” Ahmad said.What first caught Ahmad’s attention was Nishad’s height. Now standing at six feet four inches, he soon impressed the coach with his hard work and focus. “He turned out to be a very hardworking and focused youth. Within three years, he started delivering impressive results and has continued to improve,” Ahmad said.Despite his success, Nishad has remained focused on his sport, the coach said. With a few more years of competitive sport ahead of him, Ahmad believes he can continue to excel at the highest level. “He is a sports icon not only for Himachal Pradesh but for the entire country,” he said.