Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Sarvesh Kushare etched his name into Indian athletics history after shattering the men’s high jump national record with a stunning clearance of 2.31m at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, June 27.
The 31-year-old produced the performance of his life to clinch the gold medal while surpassing Tejaswin Shankar’s long-standing national record of 2.29m, which had stood since April 2018. Kushare’s effort also comfortably cleared the Athletics Federation of India’s qualifying standard for the 2026 Asian Games, confirming his place in the Indian contingent for the continental showpiece.
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The athlete from Maharashtra looked in complete control throughout the competition before soaring over 2.31m on a memorable evening at the Kalinga Stadium. He then attempted 2.35m but was unable to clear the bar, though his record-breaking jump had already secured his place in the history books.
SARVESH KUSHARE KEEPS RISING
Sarvesh Kushare has emerged as one of India’s leading high jumpers through years of steady progress on the domestic and international circuit. Hailing from Deogaon village in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, Kushare was introduced to athletics at a young age by school coach R.W. Jadhav. His talent soon became evident, and he went on to represent India at several major international competitions.
Kushare announced himself on the national stage by winning the Indian Open High Jump title in 2019 before making his international debut at the South Asian Games, where he claimed the gold medal with a jump of 2.21m. He continued his rise by winning the national title multiple times, establishing himself as India’s most consistent high jumper.
A breakthrough year came in 2023 when Kushare won the silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok with a leap of 2.26m. The performance boosted his world ranking and helped him qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where he narrowly missed out on a place in the final after clearing 2.26m in the qualification round.
Kushare also represented India at the Paris Olympics before producing another career milestone at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. He became the first Indian male high jumper to qualify for the final of the prestigious event and finished sixth with a personal best of 2.28m, the best-ever finish by an Indian in the discipline at the World Championships.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
