Sarvesh Kushare Makes History as First Indian Commonwealth High Jump Silver Medallist

After both athletes cleared 2.25m, Kushare and Beckford failed to cross the 2.28m mark. The Jamaican secured the gold medal after the count-back rule came into play, as he had one fewer failed attempt than the Indian. England’s Jack Kimani won the bronze medal with a best jump of 2.20m.

The other Indian participant in the event, Adarsh Ram, finished fifth after clearing 2.15m.

Before Kushare’s achievement, Tejaswin Shankar was the only Indian high jumper to win a Commonwealth Games medal, having secured bronze at the 2022 Birmingham Games. Kushare surpassed that record by winning silver, marking his first Commonwealth Games medal on his debut appearance.

Tejaswin Shankar also competed on Monday but retired after failing to clear 2.05m in his first attempt. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure because Tejaswin is scheduled to compete in the men’s decathlon starting on Thursday.

Born to an onion farmer in Devargaon village of Maharashtra’s Nashik district, Kushare began his journey with limited resources. He practised high jump using makeshift landing pits made from corn husks, cotton and agricultural waste, which were prepared by his father and childhood coach.

Speaking to PTI after his event, Kushare said, “It's my first medal, also my first medal at a major event. Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games are the Games that push for the Olympics. I want to win a medal. I will do my best. I want to win a gold medal at the Asian Games.”

Asked about his mindset before his final two jumps, Kushare said, “I wanted to do every jump in the first chance. It was a good experience.”

On Tejaswin providing him tips inside the arena, Kushare said, “Let the player be in the role. He is a good player. We will do more competitions. We will do our best.”

Earlier this month, Kushare achieved another milestone by becoming the first Indian high jumper to finish on the podium at a Diamond League meet. He claimed third place on his debut in Monaco, becoming part of an exclusive four-member club of Indian athletes to achieve the feat.

Kushare cleared 2.26m to secure third position in a star-studded field and reached a major personal milestone. He had set a national record of 2.31m while winning gold at the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar last month.

He became the fourth Indian to finish among the top three in a Diamond League event after javelin throw superstar Neeraj Chopra, who has achieved the feat 13 times since 2022, long jumper Murali Sreeshankar, who finished in the top three once in 2023, and former discus thrower Vikas Gowda, who achieved it twice in 2015.

A late bloomer in the sport, Kushare first participated in a national event when he was nearly 20 years old at the 2014 Junior Championships. His first national-level gold medal came at the 2018 Indian Open, where he jumped 2.24m. He improved his mark to 2.26m while winning gold at the 2019 Indian Open.

Kushare raised the bar further by clearing 2.27m while winning gold at the 2022 Gujarat National Games. For two years, he could not improve his mark before jumping 2.18m and finishing sixth at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

During that process, he became the first Indian to qualify for the men’s high jump final at the World Championships. His Commonwealth Games silver medal has now added another historic achievement to his remarkable career.