Sun, August 09, 2026
India added two more medals to its tally at the U20 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with Basant winning silver in the men’s high jump and Shahnavaz Khan securing bronze in the long jump.
Basant, 19, from Ganganagar in Rajasthan, cleared 2.21m to equal his personal best and create history as the **first Indian to win a high jump medal at a world-level event**.
He began his campaign by clearing 2.06m, followed by successful attempts at 2.12m and 2.17m. His 2.21m clearance then put him firmly in medal contention.
All three podium finishers cleared 2.21m, but Basant held his nerve when it mattered most, finishing second on countback. Algeria’s Younes Ayachi won the gold, while Britain’s Otis Poole took the bronze.
Shahnavaz Khan also produced a memorable performance, claiming bronze in the men’s long jump with a best effort of 7.84m. He became the **first Indian male long jumper to win a medal at a world-level championship**.
After trailing early in the competition, Shahnavaz produced a huge 7.84m jump in the third round. He followed it with another strong effort of 7.83m in the fifth round to stay on the podium.
Italy’s Inzoli won the gold with a best jump of 7.97m, while Australia’s McGroder took silver with 7.96m.
The two medals took India’s tally at the ongoing championships to three, following Ashish Yadav’s silver in the javelin throw on Friday.
India have now matched their best-ever medal haul at the U20 World Athletics Championships, achieved in 2021, with three medals. With one day of competition remaining, the country has a chance to create a new record for its medal tally.
Earlier, India’s women’s 4x400m relay team of Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu Chaudhary and Thiya Arumugam qualified for the final after finishing among the top three in their heat.
The Indian quartet clocked 3:39.53, finishing behind the USA (3:32.66) and Australia (3:33.68), who set a season’s best.
Bhoomika gave India a strong start with a fearless opening leg of 55.81 seconds. Tahura followed with 54.54 seconds, while Tanu produced a superb third leg in 53.87 seconds to bring India into contention. Thiya then held her nerve under pressure, completing the final leg in 55.31 seconds.
On Saturday, Ashish Yadav opened India’s medal account by winning silver in the javelin throw. The 19-year-old from Uttar Pradesh became the first Indian thrower to win a U20 World medal since Neeraj Chopra achieved the feat in 2016.
© Copyright
Reporter Post.All Rights Reserved |
Powered by: Aptilogic Software |
|
Page rendered in 0.0814 seconds.
