Coimbatore: Delhi boy Tejaswin Shankar (aged 17 years and 32d days) made his intentions clear when he soared over 2.22m to win the open nationals at Lucknow this September.  The Commonwealth Youth Games gold medalist from last year, competing in Youth category here, had easy clearances over 2.06, 2.12, 2.18 and 2.21 in all his first attempts.  He had just one failure over 2.24m, and then came the record in 2.26m also with the second attempt.

A senior record while you are still at junior grade used to be a rare phenomenon in Indian athletics.  Tamil Nadu’s Nallusamy Annavi did this achievement way back in 1984 when he sailed over 2.12m at New Delhi.  Even the previous record-holder Hari Shankar Roy (West Bengal) also had the honour of setting the Senior Indian Record at the age of 18 with his silver winning 2.25m in Asian All-Star Athletics meet at Singapore in 2004. 

Now the record shifted from one Shankar to another!  Started as a cricketer Tejaswin transformed in to a classic high jumper in a short span of time.  With age on his side, he is expected to bring more laurels to the country in the near future.  “I didn’t expect the record here.  I have no idea what happens in me.  It went like a fairy-tale” Tejaswin voiced after his majical jump.

Evolution of Indian High Jump Marks in last 50 Years:

2.03m – Bhim Singh 03.06.1966 Patiala

2.04m – Bhim Singh 18.11.1966 Patiala

2.05m – Bhim Singh 10.12.1966 Bangkok

2.06m – Bhim Singh 05.02.1967 Khadakvasla

2.10m – Bhim Singh 21.10.1967 Meerut

2.11m – Bhim Singh 02.03.1968 Meerut

2.12m – Nallusamy Annavi 27.04.1984 New Delhi

2.13m – Nallusamy Annavi 30.11.1984 Madras

2.15m – Nallusamy Annavi 23.11.1987 Calcutta

2.16m – Nallusamy Annavi 10.08.1990 New Delhi

2.17m – Chanderpal Ratni 21.01.1993 Bangalore

2.25m – Harisankar Roy 28.09.2004 Singapore

2.26m – Tejaswin Shankar 10.11.2016 Coimbatore

Another Delhi boy Shanawaj Khan, a bronze medalist in this year’s World School Games at Trabzon (Turkey), successfully defends the U16 high jump with a meet record 2.02m.

In other events two more national records came in U16 age-group in 2,000m run.  UP girl Amrita Patel clocked 6:35.66 while Haryana boy Vikas timed 5:31.87 to win gold medals in their respective events.

Double Asian junior gold medalist Lili Das (Bengal) easily wins U20 girls 1500m over Kerala’s world school bronze medalist Babitha (4:25.22 to 4:33.77).