Pooja Singh Breaks Senior National High Jump Record at Asian U20 Championships

Pooja Singh, a 19-year-old high jump athlete, achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the Indian senior national record with a 1.93-meter jump during the Asian U20 Athletics Championships. This impressive performance earned her a gold medal and highlighted a dominant display by India on Friday.

The previous record of 1.92 meters was held by Sahana Kumari since 2012. Pooja's earlier personal best of 1.90 meters was registered at an event in New Delhi in April 2026. Known as the current Asian champion, she won the gold medal at the Asian Championships in South Korea with a jump of 1.89 meters.

Pooja, who refrained from competing at the recent Federation Cup in Ranchi, managed to surpass the qualifying mark for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, set at 1.92 meters by the Athletics Federation of India. Overcoming financial struggles, she initially practiced with bamboo poles and husk sacks in her Haryana village.

With this achievement, India continues its strong performance at the championships, having secured a total of eight medals, including four golds, in just two days. Other notable winners include Nitin Gupta in the men's 5000m race walk, Amanat Kamboj in the women's discus throw, and Rahul Jakhar in the men's decathlon.

(With inputs from agencies.)