Pooja Singh shatters 14-year national high jump record at Asian U20 Championships
Hong Kong, May 29
India's Pooja Singh delivered a historic performance by clearing 1.93m in the women's high jump to break the long-standing national record held by Sahana Kumari for 14 years at the U20 Athletics Championships 2026 in Hong Kong on Friday.
The remarkable effort also earned the youngster the gold medal. In the decathlon, Rahul Jakhar clinched gold as India secured a dominant 1-2 finish, with Upkar taking silver. Rahul also set a new U20 national record with 7,185 points, achieving personal bests in seven of the 10 events during an outstanding all-round display.
A total of 48 Indian athletes, 30 men and 18 women, are representing the country at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships 2026 in Hong Kong, being held from May 28 to 31.
The Athletics Federation of India selected the squad based on performances in domestic competitions, including the Junior Federation Cup held in Tumakuru in April.
Indian athletes will also be aiming to secure qualification for the World U20 Athletics Championships 2026, set to be held at Hayward Field from August 5 to 9.
Asian U20 Athletics Championships 2026: India squad: Men: Rudra Sachin Shinde (200m 4x100m relay), Mohammed Ashfaq (400m, 4x400m relay and mixed 4x400m relay), Piyush Raj (400m, 4x400m relay, mixed 4x400m relay), Venkatram Reddy Mogali (800m), Sandeep Yadav, Vikas Kumar (3000m), Nikhil C (3000m steeplechase), Kiran Kunchan (110mh), Jashanpreet Singh, Amit Kumar (400mh), Nitin Gupta, Tushar Panwar (5000m race walk), Basant (high jump), Shahnavaz Khan, Jithin Arjunan Raman (long jump), Royshan Poorna Chandrasekar (triple jump), Nishchay (discus throw), Ashuvendra Pratap Singh, Aman (hammer throw), Ashish Yadav (javelin throw), Upkar, Rahul Jakhar (Decathlon), Anshu Rajak, Aditya Pisal, Nived Krishna J, Mehebubul Ahamed, Ranjith Kumar Senthil Kumar, Sayed Sabeer, Nakul Prabhu, Abhay Kumar Dubey (4x100m relay).
Women: Nipam (100, 4x100m relay), Bhumika Sanjay Nehate (200m, 4x100 relay, mixed 4x100m relay), Aarti (200m, 4x400m relay, mixed 4x400m relay), Neeru Pathak (400m, 4x400m relay, mixed 4x400m relay), Tahura Khutan (400m, 4x400m relay, mixed 4x400m), Muskan (5000m), Mansi Avinash Yadav, Aisha Verma (3000m SC), Pooja (high jump), Sadhana Ravi (triple jump), Amanat Kamboj (discus throw), Poonam (javelin throw), Bhavana G (4x100m relay), Rujula Amol Bhonsle (4x100m relay), Kajal Hirabhai Vaja (4x100m relay), Sehnoor Bawa (4x400m relay, mixed 4x400m relay), Kavita (400m, 4x400m relay, mixed 4x400m relay), Mehardeep Kaur (4x400m relay, mixed 4x400m relay).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see such promising talent emerging from India. Sahana Kumari's record stood for so long, and now Pooja has surpassed it. The future of Indian athletics looks bright. Hope she continues to improve and qualifies for the World U20 Championships too!
Outstanding performance by the entire Indian contingent! The decathlon gold by Rahul Jakhar with a national record and 7 personal bests shows the hard work our athletes are putting in. We need more such facilities and support for young talents from the government. 👌
Really impressive depth in Indian athletics now. Look at that squad list - so many names from different states and backgrounds. The grassroots programs are finally showing results. Pooja's 1.93m jump is world-class. Can't wait to see her at senior level!
Wonderful news! But we must ensure these young athletes get proper nutrition, coaching, and financial support. Many talents fade away due to lack of resources. Hope AFI and the government back them properly for the World U20 Championships and beyond. 🙏
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