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Wiki/Biography
Tejaswin Shankar was born on Monday, 21 December 1998 (age 23 years; as of 2021) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. [1]Gold Coast 2018 His zodiac sign is Capricorn. He completed his schooling at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi. Tejaswin was awarded a four-year scholarship at Kansas State University, Manhattan, United States, and he completed his graduation in business administration from the university.
Childhood picture of Tejaswin Shankar with Avantika Shankar
Physical Appearance
Height: 6′ 4″ [2]The Indian Express
Weight (approx.): 80 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Tejaswin Shankar belongs to a Tamilian family.
Parents & Siblings
Tejaswin’s father’s name is Hari Shankar, a lawyer. He died of blood cancer in 2014. His mother, Lakshmi Shankar, is a lawyer.
Tejaswin Shankar’s mother, Lakshmi Shankar
Tejaswin has a younger sister, Avantika Shankar.
Relationship/Affair
Tejaswin Shankar is in a relationship with Siddhi Hiray, a track and field athlete.
Tejaswin Shankar with Siddhi Hiray
Career
High Jump
Initially, during his school days, Tejaswin was a part of his school’s cricket team. He played cricket till his eighth standard. His school’s physical education teacher, Sunil Kumar, spotted him and advised him to try out in the high jump category. In an interview, his coach talked about how he spotted him and said,
He was warming up with a group of boys and I noticed he ran with a natural bounce. Not everyone has this bounce. I asked him if he wants to give high jump a shot.” [3]The Indian Express
Tejaswin Shankar training with his coach Sunil Kumar
Later, Tejaswin took part in various inter-school tournaments. In 2015, Tejaswin defeated junior national champion, Jeo Jose, at CBSE National Athletic Championship in Varanasi. In an interview, talking about his excitement in defeating a national champion, Tejaswin said,
I cleared 1.84 metres and won the gold. I had beaten a national champion who was taller than me, who was more experienced and had a better personal best. This was when I realised I had it in me to be a high jumper,” [4]The Indian Express
In 2016, Tejaswin, who played for the junior grade, broke the 12-year-old national senior record in Junior National Championship, Coimbatore.
Tejaswin Shankar at the Junior National Championship, Coimbatore.
In 2016, Tejaswin finished sixth at the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with a leap of 2.07m. In July 2017, Tejaswin competed in the National Inter-State Sports Meet in Guntur with a 2.23m.
Tejaswin Shankar at the National Inter-State Sports Meet in Guntur
Tejaswin qualified for the finals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, held at the Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia.
Tejaswin Shankar at the National Inter-State Sports Meet in Guntur
Shankar took a leap of 2.28 metres at the 22nd Federation Cup Indian Championship in March 2018 at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala.
Tejaswin Shankar matches his national record of 2.28m in the high jump at the Federation Cup. pic.twitter.com/kv0YeSrePV
— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) March 7, 2018
Tejaswin participated in the Texas Tech Corky-Crofoot Shootout Athletics Meet, jumping 2.29m in April 2018 in the United States. He participated in the West Regional Championship in 2019 at the Sacramento State University, California.
Tejaswin Shankar at West Regional Championship 2019
In June 2022, Tejaswin competed in the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon with a leap of 2.27m.
Accountant
In September 2022, Tejaswin was offered a job as an accountant at Deloitte in Kansas City.
Record(s)
- 2015: Games record of 2.14 metres at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia, Samoa.
- 2016: National senior record with a jump of 2.26m at the Junior National Championship in Coimbatore in November 2016, breaking the previous record of Hari Shankar Roy of 2.25m in the Asian All-Star Athletics meet in Singapore in 2004.
Tejaswin Shankar at the 2016 National Junior Championship
- 2016: National record of boy’s U18 high jump at the 32nd National Junior Athletics Championship in 2016 with a mark of 2.26m.
- 2018: Indoor national record with a mark of 2.18 metres in January 2018 at the Big 12 Indoor Championship, Ames, Iowa.
- 2018: High jump national record of jumping 2.29m at the Texas Tech Corky-Crofoot Shootout Athletics Meet, US
- 2022: National Record of 2.28m at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championship 2022 in February 2022 in Ames, Iowa
- 2023: Broke the national decathlon record of 7658 points set by Bharatinder Singh with a total score of 7666 points at the Asian Games [5]The Times of India
Medals
Gold
- 2014: CBSE National Athletics Championship, Varanasi
- 2015: Commonwealth Youth Games, Apia, Samoa
Tejaswin Shankar with his gold medal at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games
- 2017: Senior National Open Athletics Championship, Lucknow
- 2018: 22nd Federation Cup Indian Championship in Patiala
Tejaswin Shankar posing with his gold medal at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala
- 2021: Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship, Manhattan
Silver
- 2016: South Asian Games, Guwahati
- 2023: Asian Games, Hangzhou, China
Tejaswin Shankar after winning the silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games
Bronze
- 2014: Inter-school National Championship, Ranchi
- 2018: Big 12 Indoor Championship, Ames, Iowa
Tejaswin posing with his bronze medal at Big 12 Indoor Championship, Ames, Iowa
- 2022: Commonwealth Games, Birmingham
Controversy
Exclusion from the Indian squad for Commonwealth Games 2022
Initially, Tejaswin Shankar was not included in the Indian squad for Commonwealth Games 2022, as he was not able to participate in the AFI-mandated National Inter-State Championship 2022 in Chennai. He filed a petition against the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in Delhi High Court for his inclusion in the Commonwealth Games 2022. Within two hearings, the court ordered the Athletics Federation of India and the Indian Olympic Association to add him to the Indian squad for CWG 2022. However, Tejaswin was added as a replacement in the squad. In an interview, he talked about how he struggled for his selection in Commonwealth Games and said,
I hardly got any sleep with so much happening around. How do you motivate yourself to train when you are not sure about your next competition? My practice has also been affected. It’s not good for the sport that athletes have to go to court for spots they have earned. I am thankful to AFI that they have finally agreed to include me in the squad. I will have a good night’s sleep today.” [6]The Indian Express
Awards
- 2022: NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Award at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, US
Tejaswin Shankar at NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships 2022, US
- 2022: Triangular Jumper High Point Award, US
Tejaswin Shankar with his Triangular Jumper High Point Award
Favourites
- Sport: Cricket
- Cricketer(s): Virat Kohli and Virender Sehwag
- High Jumper: Derek Drouin
Facts/Trivia
- Tejaswin is fondly called TJ by his friends and family members. [7]Tejaswin Shankar (TJ) – Instagram
- Tejaswin is the first Indian to win a high jump medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Tejaswin Shankar creates history. He wins our first high jump medal in the CWG. Congratulations to him for winning the Bronze medal. Proud of his efforts. Best wishes for his future endeavours. May he keep attaining success. @TejaswinShankar pic.twitter.com/eQcFOtSU58
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 4, 2022
- During his childhood days, Tejaswin aspired to be a bowler. He used to watch videos of fast bowlers, Wasim Akram and Mohammed Aamir, to practise their style of bowling.
Tejaswin Shankar playing cricket
- Tejaswin’s father, Harishankar, was not in favour of his son’s interest in athletics. He wanted him to study law and take over the family firm or make a career in cricket. He often advised Tejaswin to take advantage of his height, and train for cricket.
- Tejaswin ranked third in the under-20 jumper category in the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (IAAF) world list of 2016.
- In an interview, Tejaswin’s coach and talent scout Nallusamy Annavi talked about him and said,
Shankar has the height but he also has strength and speed. There are many tall jumpers but height alone is not enough. You need to be strong — a kind of explosive power — and you need speed. And he has all these attributes. I have seen many jumpers over the years but nobody in recent memory has the special qualities Shankar has.” [8]The Indian Express
- Tejaswin became the second Indian after Somdev Devvarman, a former professional Indian tennis player, to win two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships in 2018 and 2022 in the high jump category.
Shankar brings high jump title back to Manhattan! 🏆
📰 https://t.co/iSxaQ694ZQ#KStateTF x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/kInqndl2lF
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) June 11, 2022
- In 2016, Tejaswin suffered from a slipped disc, and he was bedridden for six months. Because of his injury, he could not participate in the 2016 World Junior Championship. In an interview, talking about how his injury affected him, he said,
I am just recovering from a slip disc. I was bed-ridden for six months from January to June. There have been times when I thought I couldn’t make it here. But here I am, all smiles and I could break the meet record of 2.23m. My sponsors JSW Sports and coach had faith in me. If not for them I would still have been bed-ridden. My coach believes that I can jump even if am missing a leg.” [9]The New Indian Express
- In 2016, Tejaswin, who played for the junior grade, broke the 12-year-old national senior record in Junior National Championship, Coimbatore.
- In June 2018, Tejaswin became the third Indian to win the United States National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track and Field Championship. The first Indian to win the title was Mohinder Singh Gill, in the triple jump category ( he won five NCAA championships in the triple jump category from 1968 to 1971), and the second Indian to win the championship was Vikas Gowda in the discus throw category in 2006.
HE DID IT! #KStateTF
Tejaswin Shankar is the men’s high jump NATIONAL CHAMPION, clearing 2.24m/7-04.25 on his LAST attempt
The winning jump ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/oMzqgtMopo
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) June 9, 2018
- In June 2022, Shankar was named the Midwest Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Tejaswin Shankar as the Midwest Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year
- In 2023, Shankar scored 7666 points in the men’s decathlon at the Asian Games and won silver. It was India’s first men’s medal in decathlon after 1974. [10]The Times of India
