Basant Kumar Meghwal (left) and Shahnavaz Khan (proper) in the course of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene. Photograph: X/@afiindia.
Basant Kumar Meghwal grew to become the primary Indian to win a excessive leap medal on the World Athletics U20 Championships, whereas Shahnavaz Khan added a bronze within the lengthy leap as India secured two medals on a memorable day in Eugene.
The 19-year-old Meghwal from Anupgarh, a border city in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, cleared a private greatest of two.21m to win silver within the males’s excessive leap.
Representing the Indian Navy, he produced the landmark efficiency on the fourth and penultimate day of the championships on Saturday (August 8, 2026).
Algeria’s Younes Ayachi received the gold, whereas Nice Britain’s Otis Poole took the bronze.
All three medallists may solely clear 2.21m however failed all their three makes an attempt to sail over 2.24m.
The positions had been thus selected countback primarily based on the variety of makes an attempt to clear the earlier top.
Ayachi cleared 2.21m in his first leap, whereas Meghwal and Poole did the identical of their second and third makes an attempt, respectively.
Meghwal’s silver additionally made him the primary Indian to win a medal within the excessive leap on the World U20 Championships.
Coached by former Indian ladies’s excessive leap nationwide report holder Sahana Kumari, Meghwal has made a outstanding 10cm enchancment this season, elevating his private greatest from 2.11m to 2.21m.
India’s medal tally then rose to a few on the championships after Shahnavaz clinched bronze within the males’s lengthy leap with a greatest effort of seven.84m.
The 18-year-old produced his greatest leap in his third try, along with his collection studying 7.67m, 7.72m, 7.84m, 7.52m, 7.83m and 5.37m.
R.C. Jithin Arjunan was the opposite Indian within the remaining, ending eighth with a greatest leap of seven.59m that he achieved in his first and fourth makes an attempt.
Italy’s Daniele Inzoli received the gold medal with a leap of seven.97m, whereas Australia’s Mason McGroder took silver with a private greatest of seven.96m.
India’s medal marketing campaign on the championships had begun on Friday (August 7, 2026), when Ashish Yadav won silver in the men’s javelin throw.
Yadav grew to become solely the second Indian after Neeraj Chopra to win a silver medal in the javelin on the World U20 Championships. Chopra congratulated Yadav after his achievement, calling it “simply the beginning” and expressing his pleasure within the younger thrower.
Printed – August 09, 2026 12:08 pm IST
