Not just his father’s pride, Tiruvavur’s son gives a whole village purpose

TIRUVARUR: The modest home of an agricultural daily labourer in Settisathiram here erupted in celebration as Indian athlete Praveen Chithravel secured the silver medal in the men’s triple jump at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Praveen’s father, Chithravel, expressed immense pride in his son’s international achievement while reflecting on the family’s humble beginnings.

“I am an agricultural daily labourer,” he said. “We educated our children and supported their dreams with the money I raised through daily wage work,” he said.

Recalling the early days of Praveen’s athletic journey, he said, “Wherever I went, I took him on my bicycle. I showed him the world little by little, and step by step, he improved and went on to compete at the international level.”

Praveen clinched the silver medal on Saturday with a best leap of 16.58 metres in freezing conditions, narrowly missing the gold medal. Acknowledging the close finish, his father said the family had hoped for gold, but was immensely proud of his achievement.

“He missed it by a hair’s breadth, but that’s okay,” he said, adding, “Next time, my son will certainly win the gold and bring greater pride to India and Tamil Nadu.”

The father, whose daughter works as a teacher and whose two sons are athletes, credited the entire community for Praveen’s success.

“The people of this village encouraged him as though he were their own child,” he said. “Teachers, relatives, and the entire village guided me in ways I did not know and helped my son progress to the next level,” Chithravel added.

He also expressed gratitude to the authorities. The family and villagers watched the event unfold on television, celebrating Praveen’s latest international medal.

“I hope his success inspires at least ten more youngsters here to take up sports and excel,” he added. Praveen had earlier won the bronze at the Asian Games.