| Rakesh Kumar | |
| Birth Place: | Katra, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Birth Date: | 1985 1, df=yes |
| Sport: | Paralympic athletics, Para-archery |
| Event: | Men's Individual Compound Open |
| Coach: | Kuldeep Vedwan |
| Pb: | 1399 WR (2024) |
Rakesh Kumar (born 13 January 1985)[1] is an Indian Paralympian archer[2] competing in the Men's Individual Compound Open. He qualified to represent India at the 2024 Summer Paralympics at Paris,[3] his second Olympics. He also won the bronze medal in the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
He represented India at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, held in Tokyo, Japan.[4] [5] He won a gold medal in the men's compound open section of the 7th Fazza Para Archery World Ranking Tournament, which was held in Dubai in February 2021.[6] [7] Kumar is the highest-ranked compound archer in India with a world rankings of No. 1ref name=newsindian>News: Archer Rakesh Kumar overcomes depression, ready to shine at Tokyo Paralympics . . 21 August 2021.
Rakesh was part of the team that won a gold medal in the team competition at the European Circuit 2nd leg in the year 2018 and won a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the 5th Fazza Para Archery World Ranking Tournament in the year 2019.[4]
He was trained at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board's Sports Complex and he is native of Katra, Jammu. In September 2021, the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha felicitated Rakesh Kumar for his performance in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[8] [9]
He also represented India in the 2024 Summer Paralympics, in which he won the bronze medal in the mixed team compound open with Sheetal Devi.