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Wiki/Biography
Tejaswin Shankar was born on Monday, 21 December 1998 (age 23 years; as in 2021) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Their zodiac sign is Capricorn. He completed his schooling from Sardar Patel School, New Delhi. Tejaswin was awarded a four-year scholarship to Kansas State University, Manhattan, United States and completed his Bachelor of Business Administration from the university.
Tejaswin Shankar’s childhood picture with Avantika Shankar
Physical Appearance
Height: 6′ 4″
Weight (Approx): 80 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
Tejaswin Shankar belongs to a Tamil family.
parents and siblings
Tejaswin’s father’s name is Hari Shankar, who is 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/context
Tejaswin Shankar is in a relationship with Siddhi Heera, a track and field athlete.
Tejaswin Shankar with Siddhi Diamond
livelihood
bounce
Initially, during his school days, Tejaswin was a part of his school’s cricket team. He played cricket till eighth grade. His school’s physical education teacher, Sunil Kumar, noticed him and advised him to try the high jump category. In an interview, his coach talked about how he saw him and said,
He was practicing with a group of boys and I noticed that he was running with a natural bounce. Not everyone has this bounce. I asked him if he wanted to participate in the high jump.”
Tejaswin Shankar is training with his coach Sunil Kumar
Later, Tejaswin participated in various inter-school tournaments. In 2015, Tejaswin defeated the junior national champion, Jio Jose, at the CBSE National Athletic Championship in Varanasi. In an interview, talking about his excitement of defeating a national champion, Tejaswin said,
I cleared 1.84 meters and won the gold medal. I had defeated a national champion who was taller than me, who was more experienced and had a better personal best. “That’s when I realized I had the potential to become a high jumper.”
In 2016, Tejaswin, playing for the junior grade, broke a 12-year-old national senior record at the Junior National Championships, Coimbatore.
Tejaswin Shankar at the Junior National Championships, Coimbatore.
In 2016, Tejaswin finished sixth at the 17th Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with a jump of 2.07 metres. In July 2017, Tejaswin competed at the National Inter-State Sports Meet in Guntur with a clearance of 2.23 metres.
Tejaswin Shankar at the National Inter-State Sports Competition in Guntur
Tejaswin qualified for the final at the 2018 Commonwealth Games held at Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast, Australia.
Tejaswin Shankar at the National Inter-State Sports Competition in Guntur
Shankar jumped 2.28 meters at the 22nd Federation Cup Indian Championships at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala in March 2018.
Tejaswin Shankar equaled his national record of 2.28m in high jump at the Federation Cup. pic.twitter.com/kv0YeSrePV
– Jonathan Selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) 7 March 2018
Tejaswin competed at the Texas Tech Corky-Crofoot Shootout Athletics Meet in the United States in April 2018, with a jump of 2.29 metres. He competed at the West Regional Championships in 2019 at Sacramento State University, California.
Tejaswin Shankar at West Regional Championship 2019
In June 2022, Tejaswin competed at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon with a jump of 2.27 metres.
accountant
In September 2022, Tejaswin was offered a job as an accountant at Deloitte in Kansas City.
record
- 2015: Games record of 2.14 meters at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia, Samoa.
- 2016: National senior record with a jump of 2.26 m at the Junior National Championships in Coimbatore in November 2016, breaking Hari Shankar Roy’s previous record of 2.25 m at the Asian All-Star Athletics Meet in Singapore in 2004.
Tejaswin Shankar at the 2016 National Junior Championships
- 2016: Boys U18 high jump national record with a mark of 2.26m at the 32nd National Junior Athletics Championships in 2016.
- 2018: Indoor national record with a mark of 2.18 m at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, Ames, Iowa in January 2018.
- 2018: High jump national record with a jump of 2.29 meters at the Texas Tech Corky-Crofoot Shootout Athletics Meet, US
- 2022: National record of 2.28 meters at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships 2022 in Ames, Iowa in February 2022
- 2023: Broke the national decathlon record of 7658 points set by Bharatinder Singh with a total of 7666 points in the Asian Games.
medal
Sleep
- 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 Championships, Manhattan
silver
- 2016: South Asian Games, Guwahati
- 2023: Asian Games, Hangzhou, China
Tejaswin Shankar after winning silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games
Brass
- 2014: Inter-School National Championship, Ranchi
- 2018: Big 12 Indoor Championship, Ames, Iowa
Tejaswin poses with her bronze medal at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, Ames, Iowa
- 2022: Commonwealth Games, Birmingham
Controversy
Out of Indian team for Commonwealth Games 2022
Initially, Tejaswin Shankar was not included in the Indian squad for the 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 in the Delhi High Court against the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) for its inclusion in the Commonwealth Games 2022. Within two hearings, the court ordered the Athletics Federation of India and the Indian Olympic Association to include him in the Indian team. For CWG 2022. However, Tejaswin was added to the team as a replacement. In an interview, while talking about how he fought for his selection in the Commonwealth Games, he said,
With so much happening around, I could hardly sleep. How do you motivate yourself to train when you’re not sure about your next competition? My practice has also been affected. It is not good for the sport that athletes have to go to court to fight for their earned spots. I am grateful to the AFI that they finally agreed to include me in the team. I will sleep well today.”
award
- 2022: NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Awards at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, US
Tejaswin Shankar at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 2022, US
- 2022: Tri-Jumper High Point Award, US
Tejaswin Shankar with his triple jumper High Point Award
Favorite
- High Jumper: Derek Drouin
Facts/General Knowledge
- Tejaswin is fondly called TJ by his friends and family.
- Tejaswin is the first Indian to win a medal in high jump at the Commonwealth Games.
Tejaswin Shankar created history. He won our first high jump medal at the Commonwealth Games. Congratulations to him for winning the bronze medal. Proud of their efforts. Best wishes for his future endeavours. May he continue achieving success. @tejaswinshankar pic.twitter.com/eQcFOtSU58
-Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 4 August 2022
- During his childhood days, Tejaswin aspired to become a bowler. He used to watch videos of fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Mohammad Amir to practice their bowling style.
Tejaswin Shankar is playing cricket
- Tejaswin’s father Harishankar was not in favor of his son’s interest in athletics. He wanted him to study law and take over the family firm or pursue a career in cricket. He often advised Tejaswin to take advantage of his height and train for cricket.
- Tejaswin was ranked third in the under-20 jumper category in the 2016 world rankings of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
- In an interview, Tejaswin’s coach and talent scout Nallusamy Annavi talked about him and said,
Shankar has height but also strength and speed. There are many high 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 qualities. I have seen many jumpers over the years but none in recent memory has the special qualities like Shankar.
- Tejaswin became the second Indian after former professional Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman to win two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in the high jump category in 2018 and 2022.
Shankar brings back high jump title in Manhattan!
📰 https://t.co/iSxaQ694ZQ#KStateTF x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/kInqndl2lF
– K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) 11 June 2022
- In 2016, Tejaswin suffered a slipped disc problem and was bedridden for six months. Due to his injury he could not participate in the 2016 World Junior Championships. While talking about how his injury affected him in an interview, he said,
I am currently recovering from a slipped disc. I was bedridden for six months from January to June. Many times I felt that I would not be able to reach here. But here I am, everyone is smiling and I can break the meet record of 2.23m. My sponsor JSW Sports and the coach had faith in me. If it weren’t for him I would still be lying in bed. My coach believes that I can jump even if I am missing one leg.
- In 2016, Tejaswin, playing for the junior grade, broke a 12-year-old national senior record at the Junior National Championships, Coimbatore.
- In June 2018, Tejaswin became the third Indian to win the United States National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track and Field Championships. The first Indian to win a title in the triple jump category was Mohinder Singh Gill (he won five NCAA championships in the triple jump category from 1968 to 1971), and the second Indian to win a championship in the discus throw category was Vikas Gowda. in 2006.
He has done! #KStateTF
Tejaswin Shankar is the national champion in men’s high jump, clearing a distance of 2.24m/7-04.25 in his last attempt
victory jump ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/oMzqgtMopo
– K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) 9 June 2018
- In June 2022, Shankar was named the Midwest Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Tejaswin Shankar named Midwest Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year
- In 2023, Shankar scored 7666 points and won a silver medal in the men’s decathlon at the Asian Games. This was India’s first men’s medal in decathlon since 1974.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn