2 weeks ago
Shahnavaz Targets Asian Games Medal; Basant Rues Missing Gold
Two young Indian athletes did something amazing at a big world competition for young athletes called the World U20 Championships.
Shahnavaz Khan is an 18-year-old long jumper.
He jumped 7.84 meters and won a bronze medal, becoming the first Indian long jumper to win a medal at this event.
He has jumped 8.30 meters before, which is the national U20 record for India.
A cramp in his leg stopped him from jumping even farther in the final.
Now he wants to win a medal at the Asian Games in Japan and jump even farther than 8.30 meters.
Basant Kumar Meghwal is a 19-year-old high jumper who won a silver medal by clearing 2.21 meters.
He almost won gold, but all three top jumpers failed to clear 2.24 meters, so the medals were decided by how many tries each jumper needed.
Basant works for the Indian Navy and hopes to jump even higher in the next couple of years.
Both athletes now have their sights set on even bigger competitions.
Shahnavaz Khan became the first Indian long jumper to win a World Athletics U20 Championships medal, taking bronze in Eugene, USA with 7.84m.
A left calf cramp hampered Shahnavaz's jumps in Eugene, and the 18-year-old now targets the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to better his personal best of 8.30m and win a medal.
Basant Kumar Meghwal cleared a personal-best 2.21m to become the first Indian to win silver in the men's high jump at the global U20 showpiece.
All three high jump medallists cleared 2.21m but failed at 2.24m, giving Algeria's Younes Ayachi gold on countback.
Basant, employed with the Indian Navy, will compete in the National Open in October and hopes to cross 2.27m-2.29m within the next one or two years.
- Who
- Shahnavaz Khan, an 18-year-old Indian long jumper, and Basant Kumar Meghwal, a 19-year-old Indian high jumper.
- What
- Both won historic medals at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, USA — bronze for Shahnavaz and silver for Basant.
- Where
- The World U20 Championships were held in Eugene, USA; the upcoming Asian Games are in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
- When
- The World U20 Championships took place last week; both athletes target the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September-October.
- Why
- Shahnavaz wants to better his personal best of 8.30m and win an Asian Games medal, while Basant rues missing gold after an ankle strain at 2.24m.
Key facts
- Event
- World Athletics U20 Championships
- Venue
- Eugene, USA
- Shahnavaz Khan's result
- Bronze medal, long jump, 7.84m
- Shahnavaz Khan's personal best
- 8.30m (national U20 record)
- Basant Kumar Meghwal's result
- Silver medal, high jump, 2.21m (personal best)
- High jump gold medallist
- Younes Ayachi (Algeria)
- Next target
- Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Japan (September-October)
- Basant's employer
- Indian Navy (Kochi-based)
Quotes
Basant Kumar Meghwal
Indian high jumper, 19, World U20 silver medallist
“Normally, more the pressure, the better I do in a competition. But in Eugene, after the third jump, I started getting cramps. Then I couldn’t do it. It was cramp on muscles. This is the first time happening. I don’t understand anything.”
firstpost.com
“I had in my mind that if I do 2.24m, I will win the gold medal. I tried my best, but I couldn’t do it. As soon as the take‑off started, my ankle was straining.”
firstpost.com
Sources
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