Sarvesh Kushare secured a silver medal in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This marks the first time an Indian man has achieved a medal higher than bronze in the high jump at the Games. His teammate, Tejaswin Shankar, who was listed as DNS (Did Not Start), made an early exit from the competition due to an injury but remained pitch-side.
Shankar’s competition concluded after his opening attempt at 2.05m. He did not clear the bar and experienced pain in his knee, later identified as patellar tendinitis. Despite his withdrawal, Shankar remained at the edge of the apron, offering advice to his teammates.
Shankar’s Role After Injury
After his injury, Shankar stayed pitch-side, providing support to Kushare and Aadarsh Ram Jothi Shankar. He offered guidance, including a suggestion to Kushare to skip a height of 2.25m and attempt 2.28m directly to aim for gold. Kushare, however, opted to clear 2.25m, which he successfully did on his final try.
Shankar described his role as a sounding board, helping his teammates under pressure. By the time the bar reached 2.25m, only Kushare and Romaine Beckford of Jamaica remained. Both cleared this height but subsequently missed 2.28m. Beckford secured the gold medal due to a better record at lower heights, having cleared 2.25m on his first attempt.
Kushare’s silver medal is a significant achievement for India in the men’s high jump at the Commonwealth Games. Aadarsh Ram Jothi Shankar finished fifth with a clearance of 2.15m, while Jack Kimani of England claimed the bronze medal at 2.20m.
Tejaswin Shankar’s Aspirations and Injury
Shankar, a 27-year-old athlete, had entered the final with expectations of winning a medal. He expressed disappointment at not being able to complete his first jump, attributing the issue to overuse of patellar tendinitis, commonly known as “jumper’s knee.” He stated that he was in the best shape of his life and intended to attempt a comeback within two days.
Shankar is a bronze medallist in the high jump from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He also won silver in the decathlon at the Asian Games, an event he transitioned to in 2022. His injury now makes him a doubtful starter for the decathlon.
Shankar was born on December 21, 1998, in Saket, New Delhi. He initially aspired to be a fast bowler in cricket before transitioning to athletics. In 2017, he received a four-year athletics scholarship to Kansas State University in the United States, where he studied accounting and finance.
In 2018, he set the Indian outdoor high jump record at 2.29m and the indoor national record at 2.28m. He also achieved gold at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Sarvesh Kushare’s Journey to Silver
For Sarvesh Kushare, the year leading up to Glasgow had already been notable. Earlier this month, he became the first Indian to clear 2.30m, breaking a national record previously held by Tejaswin Shankar for eight years. He also secured a third-place finish in Monaco, becoming the fourth Indian to reach a Diamond League podium in any event.
Kushare grew up in Devargaon, a village in Nashik, where his father and childhood coach improvised landing pits using agricultural waste. He began competing nationally later than usual, at nearly 20 years old, and has accumulated a decade of gold medals at domestic competitions. His silver medal at the Commonwealth Games marks a historic achievement for an Indian man in the high jump.
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are scheduled from July 23 to August 2, 2026.
Source: indiatoday.in
Priya Nair
Sports Reporter
