Top 7 All-Time Best Indian High Jumpers | Jumping towards new heights of success

One of the most popular track and field events, the high jump is a sporting event in which the athletes are required to jump over a horizontal bar unaided. The bar is placed at a calculated height and the athlete is required to jump over it without dislodging it. The evolution of this sport has been nothing short of spectacular to witness. Ever since ancient times, high jumpers have tried to develop and inculcate techniques and methods which would allow them to have a better chance of making a higher jump. The Fosbury Flop is one such effective method that involves the athlete running towards the bar and jumping with their head and back facing the bar. In this blog, we will look at the best Indian high jumper of all time.

India has managed to produce some of the best high jumpers who have made quite an impact in this sport. So let us take a look at some of the best Indian high jumpers:

Best High Jumper of All-time in India

Tejaswin Shankar | Best Indian High Jumper

Born in Delhi and hailing from a Tamil family, Tejaswin is an Indian athlete who competes in the high jump events. He delved into sports and athletics right from an early age. Shankar had also started winning numerous medals and setting new records. His tally includes feats like winning the gold medal at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia, setting a Games record of 2.14 meters. Furthermore, he also won silver at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati with a leap of 2.17 meters. Shaker rose to prominence when he broke Hari Shankar Roy’s 12-year-old national record of 2.25 meters with a jump of 2.26 meters, at the age of 17. More recently, there was controversy surrounding his exclusion from the 2022 Commonwealth Games squad; for which he took the Athletics Federation of India to court. After the court’s decision in his favor, he was brought in as a replacement for the team. He managed to secure a bronze medal with a jump of 2.22 meters. It’s because of these feats that he is widely regarded as one of the best high jumpers in the country. Tejaswin Shankar is one of the best Indian high jumpers in India.

Bobby Aloysius | Best all-time female high jumper in India

An Indian athlete hailing from the state of Kerala, she competed in the high jump event. Bobby held the Indian and South Asian records in the high jump between 1995 and 2012 of 1.91m. Her list of accomplishments further includes her participation in the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning silver at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, and gold in the Jakarta Asian Championships. In addition to her international wins, she also managed to win the women’s high jump event at the national domestic circuit meet in 2003 held at Chennai. Her record of 1.91 meters remained unbeaten till 2012 when Sahana Kumari jumped 1.92 meters.

Also Read | Top 10 Greatest High Jumpers of All-Time

Suresh Babu | Best All-time high jumper in India

A terrific athlete hailing from Kerala, Babu held national titles in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump events. He dominated the athletic circuit between 1972 and 1979, winning numerous titles in the jumping events, in addition to the decathlon. Furthermore, he was also making a name for himself and bringing laurels for the country on the International scene. Suresh was one of the rare athletes to win medals in two events in successive Asian Games, the bronze in the decathlon in the Tehran Asian Games in 1974 and a gold in the long jump in the Bangkok Asian Games, in 1978, a rare feat for any athlete. However, on February 19, 2011, he passed away in Ranchi while attending the 2011 National Games.

Vijay Singh Chauhan | Indian high jumper

Hailing from a time when events such as the long jump, and the high jump were not very popular and the scene was dominated by sports such as cricket, hockey, and football, Vijay Singh Chauhan rose to the occasion and promoted the sport. From a very young age, he struggled against all odds and climbed new heights in the sport of the long jump. He participated in numerous national and international events and won several accolades. For his services and achievements, he received the Arjuna Award from the Government of India.

Also Read | Triple Jump Event | History, Rules, Techniques, World Records

Sahana Kumari | Best Female Indian High Jumper

Hailing from Karnataka, Sahana has established herself as one of the best high jumpers in the country. From an early age, she played numerous sports. She learned high jumping from her father who was with the Indian Air Force at that time. Sahana was the last Indian athlete to qualify for the London Games. She has also competed in numerous national as well as International events and has gained recognition and accolades.

Nikhil Chitrasu | Best High jumper in India

Another name in the list of best high jumpers is Nikhil Chitrasu. A gifted and talented bloke, Nikhil made his presence known when he started competing in the scene right from the get-go. He has had several accomplishments to date, some of which include finishing eighth at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games, thirteenth at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, winning the silver medal at the 2010 South Asian Games, etc. Furthermore, he also competed at the 2010 Asian Games without reaching the final and finished ninth at the 2013 Asian Championships.

Gurbachan Singh Randhawa | All-time Best Indian High Jumper

One of the early pioneers of the sport of the high jump, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa is a farmer who hails from the state of Punjab. At the 1962 Asian Games, he managed to secure Gold for the country. He also participated in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics wherein he took part in hurdles, high jump, and decathlon. For his contributions and achievements, he was honored with the Arjuna Award in 1961, thereby becoming the first athlete in the country to get the award, and with the Padma Shri in 2005.

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