Who is Praveen Chithravel
Praveen Chithravel hails from a village in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, and was born into an economically disadvantaged family.
His father worked as a daily wage farm labourer, while his mother was a homemaker. Praveen’s journey in athletics began with a gold medal at the inaugural Khelo India School Games in 2018.
Under the guidance of coach Indira Suresh at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s Centre of Excellence in Chennai, he developed into one of India’s most promising horizontal jumpers.
Training in Nagercoil, Praveen created history by winning the bronze medal in the men’s triple jump at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, becoming India’s first medallist in the event at the Youth Olympics.
His performances earned him support from JSW Sports, enabling him to train at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), Bellary.
In 2023, Praveen emerged as one of Asia’s leading triple jumpers by winning the silver medal at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Astana with a national indoor record of 16.98m.
He later improved the Indian national record to 17.37m and secured a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
In 2024, Praveen qualified for and represented India at the Paris Olympics. He also competed at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, gaining valuable experience at the highest level of international competition.
Praveen returned to top form in 2025, winning silver medals at both the Asian Athletics Championships and the FISU World University Games.
In 2026, he continued his consistent performances to secure qualification for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
He remains India’s national record holder in the men’s triple jump and one of the country’s leading medal prospects in the event.
Athletics: Praveen Chithravel wins silver medal, Selva Prabhu takes bronze
India’s Praveen Chithravel claimed the silver medal in the men’s triple jump with a best effort of 16.58m.
Compatriot Selva Prabhu Thirumaran secured the bronze medal with a best jump of 16.52m, completing a double podium finish for India.