"I Always Knew She Would Break My Record": Sahana Kumari Hails Pooja Singh After Historic 1.93m Leap

For 14 years, 1.92 metres stood as the highest mark ever cleared by an Indian woman in high jump. It was a record set by Sahana Kumari in 2012 and one that inspired an entire generation of athletes.

On Friday (May 29) in Hong Kong, that record finally fell. And the athlete who broke it was none other than Pooja Singh, the 19-year-old high jumper who has steadily risen through the ranks to become one of India's brightest athletics stars.

At the U-20 Asian Athletics Championships, Pooja produced the performance of her life, clearing 1.93m to win gold and become India's new women's high jump national record holder.

What made the moment even more special was the presence of Sahana Kumari herself. Standing on the sidelines, the former record holder watched her soar over the bar and write a new chapter in Indian athletics history. There was no disappointment, no sadness at losing a record she had held for more than a decade. Instead, there was pride.

"I am just so happy for her because, in high jump, the standard can only improve when athletes keep raising the bar. If records are not being broken, how can we expect other high jumpers to progress?" Sahana told myKhel over phone from Hong Kong.

For Sahana, Pooja's achievement was never a surprise "I had already said she would break my record. I always believed she was the girl who could do it, and she has definitely proved that," she said.

Pooja's journey to 1.93m has been built on years of steady improvement. From clearing 1.85m, then 1.89m, then 1.90m, she kept pushing her limits. In Hong Kong, she first improved her personal best to 1.91m before going even higher to clear 1.93m and break the national record.

The achievement places her among the very best young jumpers in the continent. Her 1.93m clearance is now joint second on the Asian U-20 all-time list and the highest mark achieved by an Asian U-20 athlete in nearly 27 years.

Yet, according to Sahana, this may only be the beginning. "Definitely, 1.93m is not the end for her. I believe she can break her own record again. She can even clear 1.96m because, honestly, 1.96m is within her reach," she said.

The former national record holder believes Pooja's greatest strength is not just her talent but her self-belief. "More than anyone else telling her she could do it, she believed that she could do it. That belief is what helped her achieve this today," Sahana added.

Records are often remembered by numbers. Legacies are remembered by the people they inspire. On a historic evening in Hong Kong, Indian athletics witnessed both. A 14-year-old national record disappeared from the books, but the woman who once owned it stood proudly beside the athlete who broke it.

Pooja Singh is now India's national record holder. But perhaps the most powerful image from her historic 1.93m jump was seeing Sahana Kumari celebrate it as if it were her own victory.

That is the true spirit of sport.