From practising jumps on heaps of corn husks in the small village of Devargaon in Niphad taluka, Sarvesh Kushare now stands tall among the world’s elite high jumpers. In the recently concluded World Championships, he cleared a remarkable 2.28 meters to enter the finals, becoming the first Indian high jumper ever to achieve this feat.
The gold medal in the event went to Olympic champion Hamish Kerr of New Zealand, but Sarvesh’s sixth-place finish marks a historic milestone in Indian athletics.
His journey, however, was far from easy. With limited resources, he began by training on makeshift setups created by his friends and teachers – jumping onto stacks of corn husks, bundles of old clothes, and cotton pads. While his father wanted him to pursue engineering, Sarvesh chose the path of sport.
Today, he trains at the Army Sports Institute in Pune, with his next big target being the national record. That record currently belongs to Tejaswin Shankar, who has cleared 2.29 meters.
Kushare’s current coach, Justin Thomas, while speaking to the Indian Express, said, “Kushare has much more left in his tank. He didn’t win a medal at the World Championships, but if you look at it in a way, he is the first one to (reach the final). He would always say that he wanted others to believe that Indians can compete at the World level, and today he proved it. I think this is the start of another good phase in his career, and he will go on for more.”
From a village setup to the world stage, Sarvesh’s journey has become an inspiration for India’s youth. He has proved that even from rural roots and modest beginnings, one can raise the Indian flag high in international sports.
