Jaipur, Dec 3 (NationPress) The reigning Asian champion high-jumper Pooja emphasized the significance of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025 as an ideal platform for her return to the competitive arena, shattering the meet record with a remarkable 1.77m leap to secure gold in her debut appearance in the athletics segment of the event tailored for young athletes.

Competing at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, the 18-year-old displayed confidence in her first competition since an ankle injury sidelined her for almost five months, utilizing this event to refocus before turning her sights towards the more prestigious 2026 Asian Games.

This year, Pooja made history as only the second Indian woman, following Bobby Aloysius, to capture the Asian Championship high jump gold, achieving a personal best of 1.89 metres. Hailing from a mason's family in Boston village, located in Haryana’s Fatehabad district, Pooja was in recovery mode due to an injury sustained during training, which interrupted her progress after a stellar 2024–25 season.

With the KIUG dates confirmed, Pooja viewed the event as a perfect opportunity to evaluate her physical and mental readiness. Representing Lovely Professional University (LPU), she approached the competition aiming to surpass her personal best. Although she did not reach the 1.89m mark, she was pleased with her performance, which comfortably surpassed the existing KIUG record.

“I aimed to exceed my personal best here, but I’m still thrilled to have broken the Meet Record and earned a gold medal,” Pooja remarked to SAI Media after her triumph. “This was my first competition since my ankle injury five months ago. I wanted to gauge my capabilities in this event.”

She expressed enthusiasm about her experience at KIUG. “This is my inaugural Khelo India University Games, and I’m delighted to win gold here. The facilities are on par with international standards. Unlike other competitions, athletes don’t have to worry about travel logistics, allowing us to concentrate fully on our events,” she noted.

As part of her recovery and long-term development strategy, Pooja has recently joined the Anju Bobby George Academy in Bengaluru. Her journey began under humble circumstances. In 2017, she trained at coach Balwan Patra’s basic setup in Patra village, utilizing a bamboo pole as a crossbar and sacks filled with rice husk for landing. Her journey has seen her rise through the ranks, claiming the Asian Youth gold in 2023 and an Asian Junior silver later that year.

Having finished sixth at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 with a 1.80m jump, Pooja views her KIUG performance as a vital restart and a stepping stone toward securing her position at the 2026 Asian Games.

“My focus is undoubtedly on the 2026 Asian Games,” she stated. “The injury disrupted my training for nearly five months, but now that I’m back in competitive mode, I intend to eliminate distractions and concentrate fully on my training.”