India’s jumpers rarely make a global podium. On Saturday, they did it twice at the U20 World Championships in Eugene, US.
Basant Kumar (19) became the first Indian high-jumper to win a medal at the U20 Worlds, claiming silver. Shahnavaz Khan (19) followed with bronze in the long jump, becoming the first Indian male long-jumper to reach the podium at the championships.
With these two medals, along with Ashish Yadav’s silver in the javelin, India equalled its best-ever haul at the U20 World Championships, matching the tally from the 2021 and 2022 editions.
Basant, who is coached by former national record-holder Sahana Kumari, equalled his personal best with 2.21m but lost gold to Algeria’s Younes Ayachi on countback. “A big moment for him and the country. I always knew Basant was going to deliver on the big stage,” Sahana Kumari told The Indian Express.
Shahnavaz, who was the title favourite after setting a personal best of 8.30m earlier this season, could not replicate that effort due to cramps and a heel injury. He still managed a best jump of 7.87m. “My first and second jumps were fine, but after the third jump, I started getting cramps and also injured my heel. That became the main problem. I had come here hoping to set a personal best because I was in good form,” he said.
Basant is a Petty Officer in the Indian Navy and has improved massively under the tutelage of Kumari, with his first breakthrough coming earlier this year at the Junior Federation Cup. “When he jumped 2.21m at the Junior Federation Cup, I could see that he had improved massively. When he started training with me, he used to jump 2.11m,” said Sahana.
Basant has been on a phenomenal run in the 2026 season, winning gold at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships. Hailing from Anupgarh village in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, he is part of the rising generation of Indian high jumpers following Sarvesh Kushare’s exploits at the World Championships, Diamond League and Commonwealth Games.
Hailing from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Shahnavaz has been one of the breakthrough long jumpers of the season. Training alongside Sreeshankar Murali at the National Centre of Excellence (NcoE) in Thiruvananthapuram, Shahnavaz announced himself with his 8.30m jump at the Inter-State National Championships in Bhubaneswar.
While his performance at the U20 Worlds was not what he had hoped for, a world championship bronze medal at 19 is a strong start to his long-jump CV. “Today, I was only thinking about one thing: somehow, I had to finish on the podium and win a medal for India. It’s a proud moment for me, and I’m happy that I didn’t miss the opportunity to win a medal for India,” he said.
Last year, when he crossed the 8m mark for the first time at the World Continental Bronze event in Bhubaneswar, Shahnavaz took a moment to remember his late father, Naseemudin. He wrote on his bib, “8+ jump, I miss dad”, as a tribute. “Writing on the back of the bib was my way of paying tribute to my father, who passed away in 2018 because of an ailment. My father drove a jeep to ferry passengers between villages. I miss him,” he had told this newspaper.
Shahnavaz is now part of a growing pool of Indian long jumpers. “This is probably the best year for the Indian long jumpers overall. The competition has increased and these youngsters are pushing each other and me also,” two-time Commonwealth Games medallist Sreeshankar had said last month at the Inter-State Championships.
Asked about Shahnavaz, Sreeshankar said: “He is one of those guys who would always want to improve. He works extremely hard in training and when I see his work ethic, it just tells me how far this guy can go.”
Pritish Raj works with sports team at The Indian Express' and is based out of New Delhi. ... Read More