Asian Games 2026: Sarvesh Kushare Wins Men's High Jump Silver With Gritty 2.25m Leap In Nagoya

Sarvesh Anil Kushare is an Asian Games silver medallist. Competing in the Men's High Jump final at Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, the 31-year-old cleared 2.25m to seal a stunning podium finish, staying composed as the rain poured down through the competition. Sarvesh sailed over every height up to 2.22m on his first attempt, before clearing the decisive 2.25m on his second try.

He finished level on height with eventual champion Fu Chao-hsuan of Chinese Taipei, with only a countback separating gold from silver — South Korea's Woo Sanghyeok took bronze with 2.22m. It capped a flawless, ice-cool campaign under difficult conditions from the Indian Army jumper.

Sarvesh's journey to this podium has been built on grit and self-belief. Hailing from Devargaon village in Maharashtra's Nashik district, the son of an onion farmer, he learned the sport on makeshift landing pits made of corn husks, cotton and farm waste that his father — also his childhood coach — prepared by hand.

That humble start has led to a stunning breakout over the past two seasons: in 2026 alone, Sarvesh became the first Indian to clear the 2.30m barrier, breaking Tejaswin Shankar's long-standing national record with a leap of 2.31m, and made history as the first Indian high jumper to finish on the podium at a Diamond League meet, taking third in Monaco.

Just weeks before Nagoya, he had already scripted history at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the first Indian to win a high jump medal there with a silver — bettering Tejaswin's 2022 Commonwealth bronze in the process.

This Asian Games silver adds another landmark to a season that has repeatedly rewritten Indian high jump history, and comes on the back of a bronze at the 2023 Asian Championships that first signalled his continental class. Having openly said he wants to add an Asian Games gold to his collection before setting his sights on the Olympics, Sarvesh continues to close the gap on Asia's very best, one heartbreakingly close countback at a time.