India’s young athletic talent, Sharuk Khan, delivered a remarkable performance at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Lima, Peru. Sharuk rewrote the national U20 record in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, clocking an impressive 8:42.06 to secure a 10th-place finish in the final. This achievement marks a significant improvement from his previous national record of 8:45.12, set during the heats on August 29. By shaving off over three seconds from his previous best, Sharuk has firmly established himself as a rising star in Indian athletics.
The competition was fierce, with Kenya’s Edmund Serem clinching the gold medal with a world record-breaking time of 8:15.28. Serem shattered the seven-year-old world record held by fellow Kenyan Celliphine Chepteek Chespol. The silver and bronze medals were also claimed by Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes, respectively, with Matthew Kosgei and Hailu Ayalew both achieving personal best times.
Indian Relay Team finishes 6th
In the men’s 4x400m relay final, the Indian quartet comprising Rihan Choudhary, Ankul, Abiram Pramod, and Jay Kumar put up a commendable performance, finishing in sixth place with a time of 3:08.76.
The relay team faced stiff competition from the USA, South Africa, and Australia, who secured the gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively, all with their season-best timings.
Pooja Singh in High Jump
Meanwhile, in the women’s high jump final, 17-year-old Pooja Singh, who had earlier set a new national U20 record in the qualification round, finished in ninth place with a jump of 1.80m.
Although she had cleared 1.83m in the qualifiers, Pooja was unable to match that performance in the final. Serbia’s Angelina Topic claimed the gold medal with a leap of 1.91m, while athletes from Australia and Estonia took home the silver and bronze medals.
India’s Medal Table standing
India concluded the World U20 Championships in 34th place on the medal table, with Arati’s bronze in the women’s 10000m race walk being the nation’s sole medal. This marks a decline from the previous edition in 2022, where India finished 25th with three medals. The United States topped the medal table this year with a total of 16 medals, followed by Ethiopia and China in second and third place, respectively.
As India reflects on its performance at the World U20 Championships, the standout achievements of athletes like Sharuk Khan and Pooja Singh provide hope for the future of Indian athletics on the global stage.
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