Former India high jumper Sarvesh Kushare opened up about his silver-medal-winning performance at the 2026 Asian Games, expressing satisfaction with the achievement despite admitting that he had been targeting gold. Kushare cleared 2.25m to finish second in the men’s high jump final, with Chinese Taipei’s Fu Chao-hsuan taking gold on countback after also clearing 2.25m. The 24-year-old also reflected on his future targets, including the Los Angeles Olympics, and discussed the challenging weather conditions that athletes have faced during the ongoing Games.
Speaking to NDTV from Aichi-Nagoya, the host city of this year’s Asian Games, Kushare said he was pleased to secure silver, recalling the disappointment of finishing fourth at the previous edition in Hangzhou.
Former India high jumper Sarvesh Kushare opened up about his silver-medal-winning performance at the 2026 Asian Games, expressing satisfaction with the achievement despite admitting that he had been targeting gold.
Now you’ve won silver here. Q : You finished fourth at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which must have been disappointing. How nervous were you heading into the event? Sarvesh Kushare : “Absolutely. Finishing fourth in Hangzhou was disappointing. Events like the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics come only once every four years. As athletes, we keep getting older and injuries can happen at any time. That’s why the most important thing is to win a medal, whether it’s gold, silver or bronze, although everyone aims for gold. Still, next year at the World Championships and Asian Championships, I will be aiming for gold. How significant was that performance? Sarvesh Kushare : “The World Championships were a huge experience for me. That performance gave me a massive push. This year I also set a national record. The confidence I gained from those performances has helped me immensely. Q : The weather here has been difficult as well. What do you have to say about that? Sarvesh Kushare : “Yes, the conditions here have also been challenging. It may sound like an excuse, but everyone can see the weather. The rain affects all athletes equally. Sometimes it’s your day and you win gold, other times you finish with silver. I am confident I can do even better in the future. Q : Several Indian athletes have found themselves in gold-medal positions before slipping down the standings. Has the weather been a major factor? Sarvesh Kushare : “I don’t think anything unusual is happening. In high jump, positions can change with a single jump towards the end of the competition. One athlete wins gold, another takes silver. In the end, there’s only one gold medal available. You accept the result and move forward. Q: What is the next target from here? Is all the focus now on the Olympics? Sarvesh Kushare : “These Games are important, but my main target is the Los Angeles Olympics. Alongside that, my focus will be on next year’s World Championships and Asian Championships. I believe the coming years will be our time, and we will win more gold medals. Q : You’ve received strong support from TOPS, SAI and the Athletics Federation of India. How important has that backing been to your progress? Sarvesh Kushare : “Being part of TOPS has helped me a lot. I have received tremendous support, and the Athletics Federation of India has also backed me through training camps. Those camps helped me prepare for similar weather conditions and gave me valuable international exposure. “We arrived in Japan well in advance, which helped with adaptation. The experience I have gained from these competitions will be extremely useful at future World Championships and the Olympics. That experience will help me a lot going forward. Q : Do you have a target height in mind that you want to clear in the future? I do have a target number in mind. I’m not going to reveal it right now, but everyone will see it in the future.”
Because of what you’ve achieved this year, especially your sixth-place finish at the World Championships, q : Everyone was watching you closely. Because the gold medals haven’t come yet doesn’t mean I haven’t gained experience, “Just. “I was leading until 2.22m on my first attempts. But when the athlete from Chinese Taipei cleared 2.25m on his first try, the standings changed completely. I thought I could clear 2.25m and then move on to 2.28m, but the weather kept changing and I couldn’t perform as well as I wanted. I cleared 2.25m in qualification and then 2.28m in the final to finish sixth. “At the Commonwealth Games, the weather was extremely cold, but I still managed to clear 2.25m and win silver.
