Under the floodlights of Tokyo's iconic National Stadium, Sarvesh Kushare delivered a night Indian athletics will never forget. The 30-year-old from Maharashtra soared to 2.28m in the men's high jump final at the , securing a historic sixth-place finish, India's best-ever result in the event on the global stage on Tuesday (September 16).
This leap wasn't just a mark on the scorecard; it was a new personal best for Sarvesh, eclipsing his previous 2.27m set at the 2022 National Games in Gujarat.
With this jump, he now sits just a centimeter shy of Tejaswin Shankar's national record (2.29m). Sharing sixth place with NACAC champion Tyus Wilson of the USA, Sarvesh stood tall among the world's finest.
The final was a spectacle, Olympic champion Hamish
Kerr clinched gold with a stunning 2.36m clearance, Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok claimed silver at 2.34m, and Czech star Jan Stefela took bronze with 2.31m. But for Sarvesh, the night was more about breaking barriers than winning medals.
This was redemption too. At Paris 2024, he had finished 25th overall with a modest 2.15m, and at the 2025 Asian Games, he narrowly missed the podium with 2.26m. Yet, Sarvesh refused to let those setbacks define him. "I wanted to do my personal best. I wanted to clear above 2.30m, but I couldn't do it," Sarvesh told NNIS Sports in Tokyo.
For Asian Championships 2023 silver medalist Sarvesh, improvement has been a slow, patient climb. "It's been 2-3 years since I achieved my personal best. I did my PB at the Gujarat National Games in 2022. It took a lot of time just to improve by 1 cm. But it's okay. I'll be patient. I'll do better in the upcoming competitions. "
His words reflect his unshakable mindset: "Sarvesh is the same. Sarvesh won't change. I won't change. I've been working hard for 15 years. I hope to do better. I'll motivate myself. Like Neeraj Chopra, if everyone supports me, I'm sure I'll win a medal. "
With his eyes now fixed on 2.35m and dreams of the next World Championships, CWG, and Olympics, Sarvesh Kushare has made one thing clear this is just the beginning.
