Editor’s note: Dear readers, we are excited to begin a Monday-Friday column on Indian Athletics. Rupinder Singh is an experienced Athletics coach and journalist whose heart is in telling stories of athletics in India. I recall telling the BBC, way back in London in 2012, that I expected athletics in India to be a huge story in the coming decades. I hope you enjoy this journey!
Tejaswin Shankar aims to become India’s first athlete to win gold at the 2026 Aichi Nagoya, after Vijay Singh Chauhan won it in 1974 and Gurbachan Singh Randhawa in 1962.
Tejaswin Shankar has spent several years transitioning from the high jump to the decathlon, and it all came together in 2026 when he won the heptathlon gold at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships earlier this year.
Tejaswin followed this by becoming India’s first decathlete to go over the 8000-point barrier, winning the Federation Cup in Ranchi with 8057 points. Next came Tejaswin’s brave efforts at Glasgow, overcoming an injury to win India’s first bronze medal in decathlon at the Commonwealth Games.
Tejaswin has since been training at his alma mater, Kansas University, preparing to become India’s third gold medallist at the Asian Games 2026, following Gurbachan Singh Randhawa (1962) and Vijay Singh Chauhan (1974).
Keep reading this space for updates in the last week of September to confirm his Asian Games results!
