Pooja Singh shatters high-jump national record to clinch Asian U20 championship gold
Pooja Singh won gold in the Asian U20 Athletics Championships with a 1.93m high jump. The effort broke India's long-standing national record and pushed her past the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark.
Indian high jumper Pooja Singh delivered the performance of her career at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships, winning gold while breaking a 14-year-old national record and surpassing the Commonwealth Games qualification standard.
The 20-year-old cleared 1.93m in Hong Kong, eclipsing Sahana Kumari's long-standing national record of 1.92m that had stood since 2011. In the process, Pooja not only became India's new women's high jump record holder but also went beyond the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark of 1.92m.
Whether the Athletics Federation of India grants her an exemption remains to be seen, given that the Federation Cup had been designated as the final qualification event. But purely on performance, Pooja has now produced a jump worthy of a place on the Commonwealth Games stage.
HOW POOJA SINGH BROKE HIGH-JUMP NATIONAL RECORD
Competing against some of Asia's best young jumpers, Pooja produced a landmark performance in Hong Kong.
After negotiating the earlier heights with confidence, the Indian athlete cleared 1.93m to secure gold, set a new national record and move beyond the Commonwealth Games qualification standard.
The mark carried significance on multiple fronts.
It ended Sahana Kumari's 14-year reign as India's national record holder, delivered India's first-ever women's high jump gold at the Asian U20 Championships and strengthened Pooja's growing reputation as one of the most promising jumpers in world junior athletics.
The performance also added another major title to an already impressive resume that includes medals at the Asian Championships, Asian Indoor Championships, Asian U20 Championships, Asian U18 Championships and South Asian U20 Championships.
The growing list of achievements already makes Pooja one of the most accomplished young jumpers in Indian athletics:
- Asian U20 Championships 2026 – Gold Medal (1.93m, National Record)
- Breached Commonwealth Games qualification mark (1.92m)
- Asian U20 Championships 2023 – Silver Medal
- Asian Championships medalist
- Asian Indoor Championships medalist
- Asian U18 Championships medalist
- South Asian U20 Championships medalist
- Senior Women's High Jump National Record Holder (1.93m)
- U20 National Record Holder
- Best U20 women's high jumper in Asia in 2026
- Among the top two U20 women's high jumpers in the world this season
With the 1.93m clearance in Hong Kong, however, Pooja moved into an entirely different category. She is now India's best-ever women's high jumper and, potentially, a genuine Commonwealth Games contender.