Nashik’s Sarvesh scales new height in Glasgow | Nagpur News
Nagpur: In July 2024, he became the first Indian high jumper to qualify for the Olympics. Last month, he broke the national record by becoming the first Indian to breach the 2.30m mark. Earlier this month, he became the first Indian high jumper to finish on the podium at a Diamond League event.
Athlete Sarvesh Anil Kushare celebrates after winning the silver medal in the men’s high jump final at the 23rd Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, Scotland
Late on Monday night, Sarvesh Anil Kushare scripted history in Glasgow when the 31-year-old became the first Indian to win a silver medal in the men’s high jump event at the Commonwealth Games.
India’s Sarvesh Kushare celebrates after winning the silver medal in the men’s high jump final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
The journey of this small-town athlete, a farmer’s son from Deogaon village in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, has been nothing short of incredible.As a young, aspiring athlete, Sarvesh found a mentor in Raosaheb Jadhav, a physical education teacher at his school, DR Bhosale Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Deogaon.Over the three hours during which the 18 high jump finalists vied for honours in drastically changing weather conditions in Glasgow, Sarvesh came agonisingly close to gold, eventually losing on countback after a captivating showdown with Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford.Sarvesh’s childhood coach, Jadhav, introduced him to the discipline after noticing his natural jumping ability, but there was no landing mat available for practice. Like many taluka-level athletes, Sarvesh began high jumping using the scissors technique, and it took Jadhav a few years to get him to switch to the more effective Fosbury Flop.Sarvesh’s shift to the Fosbury Flop was possible only after his father, Anil Kushare, and the school authorities prepared a makeshift landing mat using corn and agricultural waste, along with cotton and discarded clothes.Recalling those early days of struggle, Jadhav said, “Since Sarvesh was getting results with the scissors technique, he was hesitant and a bit frightened. Then I gave him a practical demonstration of landing, and slowly he mastered the Fosbury Flop. In 2013, Sarvesh won his first national medal, a silver, at the school nationals in Etawah. Since then, he has never looked back and is on the verge of achieving new heights.”After consistently performing at the national level, Sarvesh joined the Army in 2016. With access to better facilities and a steady salary, he began his journey as a professional athlete. From his savings, Sarvesh bought his first pair of professional high jump spikes, which were not available in India.On his CWG debut, Sarvesh came close to winning the yellow metal. Jadhav was optimistic but was too far away from his ward to help correct his errors.In a chat with TOI, Jadhav said, “When we spoke before the event, I told him to focus on achieving the target of 2.30m. He looked set, but due to the drastically changing weather conditions, he couldn’t find his rhythm.”After sailing over 2.25m, both Kushare and Beckford failed to clear 2.28m, with the Jamaican taking gold on countback as he had one fewer failed attempt than the Indian.Before Sarvesh, Tejaswin Shankar was the only Indian to have won a Commonwealth Games high jump medal, claiming bronze in 2022. On Monday, three Indian high jumpers were among the 18 finalists and a medal was expected, but what was conspicuously missing at an event of the stature of the Commonwealth Games was the presence of a coach.Jadhav said, “Forget a coach, not a single support staff member was near the three Indian jumpers. All the other 15 jumpers had a coach or support staff member to correct their mistakes. During his two failed attempts, Sarvesh’s lower back touched the bar. Had there been a coach, he could have spotted the mistake on video and corrected it. Sarvesh could then have cleared 2.28m on his second attempt and won the gold.”With no support staff by their side inside the arena, Tejaswin was giving Sarvesh tips. After his final failed attempt, Sarvesh rushed towards Tejaswin and asked, “What’s the position?”Speaking to reporters about Tejaswin’s support, Sarvesh said, “Let the player be in the role. He is a good player. We will do more competitions. We will do our best.”Jadhav added, “At the Asian Games, Sarvesh will surely bring home gold.”
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