Aichi-Nagoya, 29 September (H.S.): India’s national record holder Pooja Singh created history at the 2026 Asian Games by winning the bronze medal in the women’s high jump, ending the country’s 24-year wait for a medal in the event. Recent competition records identify the Indian athlete as Pooja, while international reports have identified her as Pooja Singh.

Pooja secured third place in the final with a best clearance of 1.84 metres. Her bronze marks India’s first Asian Games medal in the women’s high jump since the 2002 edition.

Uzbekistan’s Barnokhon Sayfullaeva won the gold medal with a personal-best clearance of 1.90 metres, while Kazakhstan’s Kristina Ovchinnikova took silver after clearing 1.87 metres.

Pooja had earlier made headlines this year by clearing 1.93 metres at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships, surpassing Sahana Kumari’s 14-year-old national record. She also briefly occupied the top position in the Asian Games final after clearing 1.84 metres.

However, the 19-year-old Indian was unable to clear 1.87 metres in any of her three attempts and ultimately had to settle for bronze.

India’s previous medal in the women’s high jump at the Asian Games came in 2002, when Bobby Aloysius won silver. Pooja’s bronze therefore marks India’s first medal in the event since then.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar