Sarvesh Kushare qualified for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan on Saturday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Maharashtra’s Sarvesh Kushare broke the men’s high jump national record after clearing 2.31m at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

The 31-year-old bettered Tejaswin Shankar’s previous national mark of 2.29m, which had stood since April 27, 2018, in Lubbock. Kushare’s effort also improved the meet record of 2.25m, set by B. Chethan in Guwahati in 2018.

Kushare, who had already gone past the Asian Games qualification mark of 2.19m, produced his record-breaking clearance at 2.31m on his third attempt. He then took two attempts at 2.35m but could not go higher.

Tamil Nadu’s Aadarsh Ram finished second with 2.25m, also bettering the previous meet record and going past the Asian Games qualifying standard. Karnataka’s Jesse Sandesh took third place with 2.19m, matching the qualification mark.

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The performance marked a major step forward for Kushare, one of India’s leading high jumpers in recent years. The Maharashtra athlete had represented India at the Paris Olympics and has been among the country’s most consistent jumpers on the domestic and international circuit.

With his 2.31m effort, Kushare became the first Indian high jumper to officially clear 2.30m, giving India a fresh benchmark in the event ahead of a busy season that includes the Asian Games.

Published on Jun 27, 2026