Pooja Singh breaks high-jump national record to clinch Asian U20 gold
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
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. Read Full Story 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.
Pooja shatters the U20 national record again and clears India’s all-time 2nd best height ever! India’s Pooja cleared a massive 1.91m in the women’s high jump final at the ongoing U20 Asian Athletics Championships 2026. With this jump She improved her own U20 national pic.twitter.com/LqZ6LS78iV— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) May 29, 2026 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.
Pooja breaks down in tears during the Anthem! After a historic day at the U20 Asian Athletics Championships 2026, Pooja was seen with tears in her eyes as the Indian Anthem played during the medal ceremony. What a day it was for the 19-Years-old high pic.twitter.com/172mWt6vbV— nnis Sports (@nnis_sports) May 29, 2026 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, 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 Record Holder (1.93m) U20 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. Ends
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