The 31-year-old athlete cleared a height of 2.25m, earning the silver medal, while Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford claimed gold late on Monday night.
After both Kushare and Beckford successfully cleared 2.25m, neither was able to surpass 2.28m. Beckford was awarded the gold on countback, leaving Kushare with the silver, while England’s Jack Kimani took home the bronze with a height of 2.20m.
The other Indian participant, Adarsh Ram, finished fifth, achieving a height of 2.15m.
Prior to this event, Tejaswin Shankar was the only Indian to have won a medal in high jump — a bronze at the 2022 Birmingham Games. Kushare surpassed this achievement by winning silver in his CWG debut.
Tejaswin also competed on Monday but had to retire after failing to clear 2.05m in his first attempt. This decision was a precaution since he is set to compete in the men’s decathlon starting Thursday.
At 27 years old, Kushare holds a personal best of 2.29m but has not participated in many individual high jump competitions over the past two years, focusing instead on decathlon.
Hailing from Devargaon village in Nashik district, Maharashtra, Kushare practiced high jump using makeshift landing areas crafted from corn husks, cotton, and agricultural waste, prepared by his father and his childhood coach.
“This is my first medal at a major event, and it means a lot. The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are stepping stones toward the Olympics. I aim to secure a medal and will give my all,” Kushare expressed to PTI post-event.
“My goal is to win a gold medal at the Asian Games.”
When reflecting on his mindset before his last two jumps, he mentioned: “I wanted to complete each jump on the first try.
It was a great experience.”
Regarding Tejaswin offering him advice in the throwing arena, Kushare remarked, “Let the athlete be in his role. He is an excellent competitor, and we will strive for more success together.”
Earlier this month, Kushare made headlines as the first Indian high jumper to reach the podium at a Diamond League event, securing third place in Monaco on his debut and joining an elite group of Indian athletes.
Clearing 2.26m, he finished third in a competitive field, marking a significant personal achievement. He also set a national record of 2.31m while winning gold at the National Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar last month.
Kushare became the fourth Indian to finish in the top three of a Diamond League event, following javelin star Neeraj Chopra (13 times since 2022), long jumper Murali Sreeshankar (once in 2023), and discus thrower Vikas Gowda (two occasions in 2015).
Starting later in his athletic career, Kushare participated in his first national event at nearly 20 years old during the 2014 Junior Championships. He clinched his first national gold in 2018 at the Indian Open with a jump of 2.24m and improved to 2.26m while winning gold again in the 2019 Indian Open.
He raised the bar to 2.27m on his way to gold at the 2022 Gujarat National Games. After two years without improvement, he jumped 2.18m, finishing sixth at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
This achievement also made him the first Indian to qualify for the men’s high jump final at the World Championships.
