New Delhi: The fourth day of the World Athletics Under-20 Championship was inscribed in golden letters in the history of Indian sports. Young Indian athlete Basant Kumar Meghwal won the silver medal in the men’s high jump event with a brilliant performance. With this, he became the first Indian player to win a medal in the high jump event of this global competition. On the same day, Shahnawaz Khan also won a bronze medal for the country in the men’s long jump, thereby increasing India’s total medal tally to three in this championship. On the third day of the competition, Ashish Yadav opened India’s medal tally by winning the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw event.
Shahnawaz’s amazing performance in long jump
Following his historic high jump success, 18-year-old Shahnawaz Khan won the bronze medal in the men’s long jump with a leap of 7.84 metres, achieving his best distance in his third attempt.
Daniele Inzoli of Italy won the gold medal with a throw of 7.97m, while Mason McGroder of Australia won the silver with a throw of 7.96m. India’s RC Jithin Arjunan finished eighth with a throw of 7.59m.
Basant won silver
19-year-old Basant Kumar Meghwal, a resident of Anupgarh town in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, who is currently serving in the Indian Navy, won the silver medal with his personal best performance of 2.21 metres. In the competition, Younes Ayachi of Algeria won the gold and Otis Poole of Britain won the bronze medal. Interestingly, all three medal winners could only clear the height of 2.21 metres and failed in their attempt at 2.24 metres. Hence, the medals were decided on the basis of least number of attempts rule. Ayachi cleared this height in his first attempt, Basant in his second and Poole in his third.
India’s strong campaign with three medals
On the third day of the competition, Ashish Yadav opened India’s medal tally by winning the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw event. Ashish became the second Indian after legendary Neeraj Chopra to win a silver medal in the javelin throw event of this championship. This historic success of Basant and Shahnawaz has proved to the whole world the emerging dominance of Indian athletics at the Under-20 world level. Immediately after the historic success in the high jump, 18-year-old Shahnawaz Khan won the bronze medal in the men’s long jump event by jumping 7.84 meters.