Sarvesh Kushare, Sreeshankar Lead Star-Studded Field At Indian Open Jumps

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The 5th Indian Open Jumps Competition 2026 will take place on March 14-15 in Bengaluru at the Anju Bobby George High Performance Centre.

The event will act as the season opener for many of India's top jumpers, making it one of the most important early competitions of the athletics calendar. With major events like the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games coming up, athletes will look to start their season strongly.

Here are some of the big names who will begin their season at the meet and what fans can expect from them:

1) SARVESH KUSHARE (MEN'S HIGH JUMP)

He will be the biggest name in the men's high jump field.

He made history last year by becoming the first Indian to reach the men's high jump final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Sarvesh finished sixth with a lifetime best of 2.28m, one of the best performances ever by an Indian high jumper.

The Open Jumps meet will be his first competition since the World Championships, making it an important start to the new season. His performance here could set the tone for a year that includes the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Sarvesh also finished fourth at the last Asian Games, missing the bronze medal by just 3 cm.

2) MURALI SREESHANKAR (MEN'S LONG JUMP)

Murali Sreeshankar, one of India's leading long jumpers, had a brilliant season last year.

He missed the Paris 2024 Olympics due to a serious injury that required surgery and a long rehabilitation. However, he made a strong comeback last year, jumping over 8 metres three times in six competitions and qualifying for the 2025 World Championships.

His best jump last season was 8.13m, which is lower than his personal best of 8.41m, the second-best jump ever by an Indian. Still, it showed that he is returning to form.

This season opener will be crucial for Sreeshankar, especially with the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games ahead, where he has already won silver medals in the previous editions.

3) PRAVEEN CHITHRAVEL (MEN'S TRIPLE JUMP)

India's triple jump national record holder Praveen Chithravel will also compete at the meet.

Praveen has a massive personal best of 17.37m, which is also the national record. Last season was a mixed one for him. Early in the year, he matched his lifetime best of 17.37m, raising hopes of a big season.

However, he could not reach the World Championships final, finishing the qualification round with a best jump of 16.74m.

He has already started his 2026 season at the Asian Indoor Championships, where he finished fourth with 16.22m, just missing the podium.

The competition will also feature Abdulla Aboobacker, the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, who will open his season in Bengaluru.

4) POOJA SINGH (WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP)

Rising star Pooja Singh will compete in the women's U-20 high jump category, as her main focus this year is the World Junior Championships.

The qualification mark for the event is 1.81m, which Pooja has already cleared comfortably.

At just 18 years old, she became the Asian champion in 2025 with a lifetime best jump of 1.89m before suffering a serious injury.

The Bengaluru meet will be only her fourth competition since returning from injury, making it an important step in her comeback.

5) DEV MEENA (MEN'S POLE VAULT)

Dev Meena had a historic season last year in the Indian pole vault. He broke the national record three times, improving it from 5.31m to 5.40m.

This year, his next big target will be 5.45m, which is the qualification mark for the Asian Games. If he manages to clear it, he could become the first Indian pole vaulter to qualify for the Asian Games.

The pole vault event at the Open Jumps will be highly competitive. Former national record holder Siva S and promising vaulters M Gowtham and Reegan G will also begin their seasons at the meet.