‘2.35m mark yet to fall’: Sarvesh Kushare sets new goal after breaking national high jump record | More sports news

National record holder Sarvesh Kushare has already crossed the 2.30m mark, but the high jumper says his next target is even higher. After becoming the first Indian to throw 2.30m, Kushare has now set his sights on winning gold at the Asian games and breaks the 2.35m barrier.Kushare created history by clearing 2.31m at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships on Saturday, bettering the previous national record of 2.29m set by Tejaswin Shankar.The 31-year-old from Maharashtra became the first Indian high jumper to clear 2.30m. His jump is also the third best performance in the world this season and the best among Asian athletes. He also crossed the Athletics Federation of India Asian Games qualification mark of 2.19m.After setting the national record, Kushare attempted 2.35m but failed to clear the height in two attempts.“I will go for gold at the Asian Games and I am confident about it. The 2.35m mark will also fall, it can be during the Commonwealth or the Asian Games,” said Kushare after his performance, as quoted by the news agency.This will be Kushare’s second Asian game. He had finished fourth at the 2022 Asian Games in China with a jump of 2.26m. He was also named in the 32-member Indian athletics squad for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, scheduled from July 23 to August 2.Soon after Kushare broke the national record, Tejaswin Shankar posted on social media: “Another mental barrier broken!! 2.30+ probably the last of the sticky records. 2.34-35 is just a matter of time.”When asked if clearing 2.30m had been a mental barrier, Kushare said, “Height is not easy. But if our preparation is according to this, everything is possible.“Going above 2.30m is very difficult. If we talk about 2017-18, if Tejaswin did not do 2.26m, we would not have been ahead. He did 2.27m and then 2.29m, we are also behind slowly. By the grace of God, everything was good and I was able to do it.”Kushare is currently training at the Anju Bobby George Foundation Academy in Bengaluru after settling at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.Asked if he had cleared 2.30m during training, he said: “There were attempts in practice, but not as many good attempts as the one I have here. Everything was new and good for me here. It was fun to compete and beat the national record.“But I haven’t tried 2.35m in practice yet.”