On Monday (July 27) high jump Sarvesh Kushare set a record at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow on the day of his first time at the Commonwealth Games 2026 by winning a silver medal in men’s high jump in a men’s high jump event. Kushare became the first Indian to win a silver medal in high jump at the Commonwealth Games and is now awarded a silver medal, so he is also the first Indian to win a medal in the high jump event after his teammate Tejaswin Shankar won a bronze medal in Birmingham 2022.
Kushare and Jamaica's Romaine Beckford both cleared a height of 2.25 metres in a tense, dramatic final. But the gold medal went to Beckford on the countback rule, as the Jamaican reached the height on his first attempt while Kushare had to make three attempts to get to the bar. England's Jack Kimani climbed on the podium and won a bronze medal with a 2.20m clearance.
Kushare was a shining star but the other high-jumping competitors had a contrasting day. Defending bronze medallist Tejaswin Shankar was heartbroken. Experiencing discomfort and pain in his knee after an initial attempt at 2.05m failed, Shankar was forced to retire hurt from the event in order to secure his fitness for the decathlon. But Shankar remained on the court to support and guide Kushare throughout the remainder of the competition and the event.
Meanwhile, India’s Aadarsh Ram had an impressive performance as he was in medal contention for most of the final and finished fifth with a best clearance of 2.15m.
Kushare is from Devargaon village near Nashik in Maharashtra and has enjoyed a meteoric rise in international athletics. A silver medal at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships and sixth place at the Tokyo World Championships were proof of the fact that Kushare entered Glasgow Games on a high note and recently set a new national record of 2.31m at the National Inter-State Championships and a podium place at the Diamond League in Monaco.
Kushare's silver medal was a monumental high point for the Indian contingent at the 2026 Commonwealth Games and it was followed by historic gold and bronze in para-athletics by Sharmila Dhankar and Shilpa K Shyla.
