Basant, Shahnavaz win India’s maiden high jump, long jump medals in World Athletics U20 C’ships

Basant Kumar Meghwal and Shahnavaz Khan became the first Indians to win a medal each in high jump and long jump at the World Athletics U20 Championships, clinching a silver and a bronze in their respective events on a memorable day for the country here.

The 19-year-old Basant, the reigning Asian U20 champion, cleared a personal-best of 2.21m to win the silver in the men’s high jump, while Shahnavaz clinched the bronze in the men’s long jump event with a best effort of 7.84m. Algeria’s Younes Ayachi won the gold, while Great Britain’s Otis Poole took the bronze.

All the three medallists could only clear 2.21m but failed all their three attempts to sail over 2.24m. The positions were thus decided on countback based on the number of attempts to clear the previous height.

Ayachi cleared 2.21m in his first jump, while Meghwal and Poole did the same in their second and third attempts respectively.

Coached by former Indian women’s high jump national record holder Sahana Kumari, Basant has made a remarkable 10cm improvement this season, raising his personal best from 2.11m to 2.21m. He won gold in the National Junior Fed Cup in 2025 and 2026, before bagging the Asian U20 Championships title in May this year.

Basant, currently employed with the Indian Navy, hails from village 12 A-B near the border town of Anupgarh in Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan. Villages in border areas of Rajasthan are named using colonial-era irrigation block numbering system.

His farmer father Gangaram Meghwal, who also doubles up as driver and daily wage labourer, was the main driving force for Basant to take up sports.

Shahnavaz shines with bronze in long jump

India’s medal tally then rose to three at the championships after Shahnavaz clinched a bronze in the men’s long jump with a best effort of 7.84m. The 18-year-old produced his best jump in his third attempt, with his series reading 7.67m, 7.72m, 7.84m, 7.52m, 7.83m and 5.37m. Jithin Arjunan was the other Indian in the final, finishing eighth with a best jump of 7.59m.

Italy’s Daniele Inzoli won the gold medal with a jump of 7.97m, while Australia’s Mason McGroder took silver with a personal best of 7.96m.

The 18-year-old Shahnavaz is one of the most promising long jumpers in the country with Commonwealth Games silver medallist Murali Sreeshankar showering high praise on the youngster. He is the current national U20 record holder (8.30m) and reigning Asian U20 champion. He is currently third in the Asian senior top list of the season with his 8.30m jump while finishing behind Sreeshankar (8.38m) at the National Inter-State Championships in June. He won gold at the Asian U20 Championships in May with a jump of 7.84m.

In the last four months, he has improved his personal best from 8.23m to 8.30m. At such a young age, his personal best (8.30m) is the all-time third among the Indians (seniors) behind Jeswin Aldrin (8.42m) and Sreeshankar (8.41m). He has also breached the 2026 Asian Games qualification mark set by the Athletics Federation of India.

Shahnawaz hails from Madhaipur village in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. His late father Naseemudin, who worked as a taxi driver, passed away from cancer in 2018 when he was 10 years old. But his uncles, who were national level athletes, stepped in to guide him.

Women’s 4×400m relay team qualifies for final round

With one day to go, India equalled the medal haul of the 2021 and 2022 editions. India’s medal campaign at the championships had begun on Friday when Ashish Yadav won silver in the men’s javelin throw.  From 2002 to 2028, India won just four medals in the World Athletics U20 Championships, including a gold each from Neeraj Chopra (men’s javelin throw) and Hima Das (women’s 400m race). India won one medal in the 2024 edition.

In the men’s discus throw, national U20 record holder Nischay Phogat failed to make it to the final round after finishing 16th overall in the qualification round with a best throw of 59.46m.

On the tracks, the Indian women’s 4×400m relay team qualified for the final round after finishing third in the heat race, clocking 3:39.53s. The Indian team comprised Bhoomika Nehate, Tahura Khatun, Tanu Chaudhary and Thiya Arumugam.