Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2026: Indian high jumper Sarvesh Kushare was honored in sports category at the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2026 ceremony held at the Gateway of India in Mumbai on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Kushare was recognized for his performances in international athletics and his journey from rural Maharashtra to competing on the global stage.
The 30-year-old, the son of an onion farmer from Nashik, began his athletics journey in Deogaon village under the guidance of his schoolteacher and first coach Raosaheb Jadhav. With limited facilities, he initially trained on improvised landing mats filled with corn husks, cotton and old clothes. His career gained momentum after joining the Indian Army in 2016, which provided access to professional training facilities and financial support.
Kushare achieved a major milestone in 2025 when he became the first Indian high jumper to reach the final of the World Athletics Championships. He cleared 2.28 meters in the competition and finished sixth among the world’s best athletes.
Earlier, he won gold at the South Asian Games in Kathmandu in 2019. He later secured a silver medal at the Asian Athletics Championships at Supachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok in 2023. He also represented represented India at the Paris Olympics in 2024, where he finished 25th in the men’s high jump after battling an ankle injury before the Games.
His rise from a small village in Maharashtra to the global athletics stage has made him a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes across the state and the country.
The Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards, organized annually by the Lokmat group, celebrates individuals from Maharashtra who have excelled in fields such as sports, public service, education, agriculture, medicine, business and emerging leadership.
Several prominent figures from across Maharashtra attended the ceremony, including government ministers, senior administrative officials, business leaders and professionals from various fields.