Ludhiana, Sep 4: India’s emerging athletics talent produced a memorable finish to the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships 2026, with young competitors rewriting several meet records and a national mark on the final day at Guru Nanak Stadium.
Jharkhand’s Himanshu Kumar stole the spotlight in the boys’ high jump, clearing 2.09 metres to finally surpass a 2.08-metre championship record that had remained untouched since 2005. The performance earned him the gold medal and added his name to the history of the event.
Assam’s Zubin Gohain matched the 2.09-metre clearance and also went beyond the previous meet record, but had to settle for silver. Tamil Nadu’s Sakthivel VN completed the podium with a best effort of 2.07 metres.
The boys’ javelin competition produced another major highlight as Madhya Pradesh’s Krishan Chandra sent the spear 79.92 metres, comfortably breaking the previous meet record of 77.41 metres. Karnataka’s Pushpak Nel Wade claimed silver with 76.09 metres, while Rajasthan’s Manjeet Kumar took bronze with 74.45 metres.
West Bengal’s Misti Karmakar added another record to the championships in the girls’ javelin. Her 52.84-metre throw surpassed the previous mark of 51.84 metres set in 2022. Maharashtra’s Sanavi Gaiwad finished second with 50.07 metres, followed by Madhya Pradesh’s Shivani Patel at 49.35 metres.
Track events also delivered record performances. Maharashtra’s Manas Shinde won the boys’ 200 metres in 21.51 seconds, setting a new meet record. Yash Mulik produced an even bigger result in the 110-metre hurdles, clocking 13.40 seconds to establish a new national record.
Bihar’s Prem Raj dominated the boys’ long jump with a 7.58-metre effort, while Telangana won the boys’ 1,000m medley in 1:54.54.
In the girls’ section, Maharashtra’s Bhoomika Nehate lowered the meet record in the 200 metres with a 23.92-second run. Karnataka’s Nupura Holla also impressed in the 100-metre hurdles, winning in 13.78 seconds and setting a new meet record.
Haryana’s Anjali won the girls’ shot put with 16.02 metres. In the heptathlon, Kerala’s Anamika finished first with 4,641 points, ahead of Haryana’s Muskan and Odisha’s Urmila Bharasag.
Yash Mulik and Nupura Holla were named the best male and female athletes of the championships after their standout performances.
Haryana finished at the top of the medal standings with four gold, seven silver and three bronze medals. Maharashtra secured eight medals, including three gold, while Karnataka finished third with three gold and two silver medals.
The three-day championships provided a strong platform for the country’s next generation of athletes, with the record-breaking performances in Ludhiana offering an encouraging glimpse of the talent emerging in Indian athletics.