Tejaswin Shankar didn’t wallow in self-pity after picking up a recurring knee injury and helped fellow Indian Sarvesh Kushare set a new milestone in the high jump event of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Shankhar, the bronze medallist in the previous edition in Birmingham, was looking to go one better and get a higher medal at Glasgow, but in the warm-up, once he felt the pain, he knew it was over. However, he went for the first attempt in a last-ditch effort. Sadly, nothing came of it. He had to pull out but he pulled himself together real quick. He was heartbroken and could have walked out of the venue, but instead, he decided to stay, to see his friend Kushare through.
It was a good call that Shankar made because, as it turned out, his inputs will go on to help Kushare to win India’s first silver ever in CWG high jump.
“I wanted to clear the height in my first attempt itself, but, during 2.25 metre, my rhythm was affected, and my stride became shorter. Then TJ [Tejaswin Shankar] told me to move forward in my run-up, and that helped,” Kushare revealed.
Unfortunate, to say the least!
Earlier, Tejaswin Shankar related his ordeal. “I felt a shooting pain in my knee. It happened during my warm-up. It's nothing new. I have always had tendonitis in my knees. I don't think there is any high jumper who doesn't have it. That's why it's called Jumper's knee. Everyone manages it, and so do I. But it's one of those days, you want just one day in a year when you don't have that pain but it came on that day only. It really stings in these conditions. I was really confident I could jump for a win, jump for a medal. I really knew I could win a medal. But to not even get through the 1st height, it stings because I was in really great shape.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Tejaswin Shankar related his ordeal. “I felt a shooting pain in my knee. It happened during my warm-up. It's nothing new. I have always had tendonitis in my knees. I don't think there is any high jumper who doesn't have it. That's why it's called Jumper's knee. Everyone manages it, and so do I. But it's one of those days, you want just one day in a year when you don't have that pain but it came on that day only. It really stings in these conditions. I was really confident I could jump for a win, jump for a medal. I really knew I could win a medal. But to not even get through the 1st height, it stings because I was in really great shape.
{{/usCountry}}“It’s just overuse of the patellar tendon. There is nothing spectacular about it. It just flared up today and ruined my entire competition,” he said.
But the injury is not the end of the world for Shankar; he is scheduled to perform in the decathlon event on Thursday. He has not entirely given up; there is still some hope for him to participate. “I will come back in two days. We still have two days. I'll give my best over the next two days and try to fix it. I will obviously start. I'm not here on vacation. The patellar tendon is used in high jump and long jump. If I am somehow able to get by in those two events, I'm still confident the other events would be fine,” he said.