Pooja Singh, a student at Lovely Professional University, has broken a 14-year-old Indian high jump record after clearing 1.93 metres to win gold at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong.
Indian high jumper Pooja Singh has rewritten the national record books after clearing 1.93 metres to win gold at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships 2026 in Hong Kong, becoming the country’s new record holder in the women’s high jump. Pooja is a second-year Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports (BPES) student at Lovely Professional University (LPU).
The 19-year-old’s winning jump surpassed the previous Indian U20 record that had stood for more than 14 years, marking a significant milestone for Indian athletics.
Pooja Singh Sets New National High Jump Record
Pooja’s latest success continues a rapid rise in the sport. Last year, she won gold at the Asian Championships in South Korea with a jump of 1.89 metres. Her latest performance not only improved on that mark but also secured her qualification for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
At just 19, Pooja has already built an impressive résumé. She was the youngest Indian athlete to compete at the 2022 Asian Games, where she finished sixth against some of the continent’s top competitors.
Her dominance in the event has been reflected across age groups. Pooja currently holds multiple national records in women’s high jump, including the Under-17, Junior, Under-20 and Senior categories. She has also delivered strong performances at the Khelo India Youth Games, Khelo India University Games and the All India Inter-University Games.
Pooja is currently pursuing her studies at Lovely Professional University while competing at the national and international level. She credited the university’s training environment, coaching support and competitive exposure for helping her improve her performance.
Born in a village in Haryana’s Fatehabad district, Pooja’s journey to international success has been shaped by years of persistence and training. Coming from a modest background, she has steadily emerged as one of India’s most promising track and field athletes.
Reflecting on her development as an athlete, Pooja credited the training environment, coaching support and competitive opportunities available to her for helping improve her performance on the international stage.
Her achievement comes at a time when Indian athletics is seeking to build on recent successes across track and field events and strengthen its presence in international competitions.
Congratulating the athlete, LPU Founder Chancellor and Rajya Sabha member Ashok Kumar Mittal said, “Records are meant to be broken, but some records carry a larger significance. Pooja’s achievement is one such moment. To witness a young Indian athlete setting a new benchmark for the country and showing what hard work, discipline, perseverance, and belief can achieve is truly heartening.”
He added, “We celebrate not just a medal or a record, but the spirit of excellence that inspires future generations to push beyond perceived limits.”
With the Commonwealth Games now on the horizon, Pooja’s record-breaking performance has strengthened expectations that she could play an important role in India’s athletics campaign in the years ahead.
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