Indian jumpers secure historic double medals at U20 Championships

Indian athletes rarely dominate global jumping events, but two young stars just changed that reality in Eugene, US. Nineteen-year-old Basant Kumar and Shahnavaz Khan both earned medals at the U20 World Championships on Saturday. Historically, Indian track and field competitors have struggled to reach the podium in jumping categories, making this weekend's success especially remarkable for the nation.

Record-Breaking Jumps

Basant secured silver in the high jump, clearing 2.21 metres to match his personal best. He narrowly missed gold to Algeria’s Younes Ayachi based on a countback. His coach, former national record-holder Sahana Kumari, expressed great pride. She mentioned she always believed Basant would perform well on such a big stage. Basant, who serves as a Petty Officer in the Indian Navy and hails from Rajasthan, used to jump 2.11 metres before training with Kumari.

Fighting Through Pain

Shahnavaz earned bronze in the long jump with a 7.87-metre effort. He entered the event as a favorite after setting a personal best of 8.30 metres at the Inter-State National Championships in Bhubaneswar earlier this year. Sadly, cramps and a heel injury after his second jump prevented him from hitting his top marks. Despite the pain, he felt proud to secure a medal for his country. The young athlete from Uttar Pradesh previously dedicated his jumps to his late father, Naseemudin, who passed away in 2018.

Looking Forward

Combined with Ashish Yadav’s silver in the javelin, these two medals helped India match its best-ever U20 World Championships performance from 2021 and 2022. Top Indian long jumper Sreeshankar Murali praised Shahnavaz for his strong work ethic. He noted that the current generation of young athletes is pushing the entire sport forward.

Image Courtesy: Asian U20 Athletics Championships 2026