India s athletics campaign at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, has produced not one but three breakthroughs. After Neeraj Chopra found a potential javelin heir in Ashish Yadav, who won silver in the men s event just as the Indian great India s athletics campaign at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, has produced not one but three breakthroughs. After Neeraj Chopra found a potential javelin heir in Ashish...
India’s athletics campaign at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, has produced not one but three breakthroughs. After Neeraj Chopra found a potential javelin heir in Ashish Yadav, who won silver in the men’s event — just as the Indian great did at the same championships 10 years ago — Basant Kumar Meghwal followed with a silver in the men’s high jump before Shahnawaz Khan added a historic bronze in the men’s long jump to take India’s medal tally to three.
Meghawal, who hails from Anupgarh in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, produced the biggest moment of his young career by clearing 2.21m to win silver in the men’s high jump - the first-ever Indian to win a medal in this event at the World Athletics U20 Championships.
The 19-year-old was locked in a tight battle for the podium, with all three medallists clearing the 2.21-metre mark, but none, however, could go beyond 2.24m despite three attempts, meaning the medals were eventually decided on countback. Algeria’s Younes Ayachi took gold as he had cleared 2.21m in his first attempt. The Indian secured silver, having cleared the same height on his second attempt, while Great Britain’s Otis Poole settled for bronze after taking three attempts to clear 2.21m.
For Meghwal, the medal capped a remarkable season. His 2.21m effort was also a new lifetime personal best, adding another major milestone after he won gold at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships earlier this year.
Much like Meghwal, Shahnawaz is the first Indian in his event to win a medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships, as Shahnawaz clinched bronze in the men's long jump with a best effort of 7.84m.
The 18-year-old produced his best jump in his third attempt, with his series reading 7.67m, 7.72m, 7.84m, 7.52m, 7.83m and 5.37m.
R.C. Jithin Arjunan was the other Indian in the final, finishing eighth with a best jump of 7.59m that he achieved in his first and fourth attempts.
Italy's Daniele Inzoli won the gold medal with a jump of 7.97m, while Australia's Mason McGroder took silver with a personal best of 7.96m.
India's medal campaign at the championships had begun on Friday when Ashish Yadav won silver in the men's javelin throw.
Yadav became only the second Indian after Neeraj Chopra to win a silver medal in the javelin at the World U20 Championships. Chopra congratulated Yadav after his achievement, calling it "just the start" and expressing his pride in the young thrower.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More