"I was not sure if my body was ready to compete" Pooja after 177m Jump for Gold Medal at Khelo India University Games [Exclusive]

Pooja is a sensational athlete who recently marked her return to competition in a big way at the Khelo India University Games 2025 in Rajasthan. Representing Lovely Professional University (LPU), she won the gold medal in the Women's High Jump event by clearing a height of 1.77m, which was enough to break the existing Meet record. This achievement is a strong signal of her talent, especially since she is already the reigning Asian High Jump champion.

This victory at the KIUG was particularly important for Pooja because it was her first major competition after recovering from an ankle injury that kept her out of action for almost five months. Despite the setback, the 18-year old high jumper used the Khelo India University Games as the perfect chance to test her fitness and mental strength before focusing on larger goals in 2026.

Clearing 177m comfortably broke the Khelo India University Games record and gave her confidence in her recovery and training.

Pooja, who comes from a humble background in Haryana, has already made history by becoming only the second Indian woman to win the Asian Championship high jump gold, where she set a personal best of 189m. Now, with her successful performance at the Khelo India University Games 2025, she has set her sights on the biggest future target which is winning a medal at the 2026 Asian Games.

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Pooja Looks to Represent India at Asian Games and Junior World Championships after record-breaking jump at Khelo India University Games

This gold medal in Jaipur shows that Pooja is back in competition mode and ready to continue her path as one of India's most promising young athletes. She detailed her journey after injury and future plans in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.

"I am quite happy with the 177m jump because I am back in competition after an ankle injury. I was not sure if my body was ready to compete after the injury, so I never expected to jump 177m and break the meet record; however, that belief in my strength and training helped me get the gold medal for my University.”

When asked about the importance of the Khelo India University Games for athletes, Pooja stated:

"This was my first Khelo India competition, and I am happy with the event. It is a good platform for athletes to prepare for upcoming competitions. I was competing with myself after the injury period, so this competition was very important for me.”

Pooja also explained the importance of next year in her athletics journey, as she is preparing for the Junior World Championships, the Asian Games, and eventually the Commonwealth Games, which will be her overall target. When asked why not a single athlete could cross the 180m mark during her injury, Pooja said:

“I was unhappy that India's high jump level has gone so low that there are not many jumpers left who can cross the 180m mark.”

Referring to her time after the Asian Games, she said:

“Immediately after the Asian Games, I got injured, and during that time, I was not participating in any competition or training program. I started training just a week ago and was happy I could win Gold in the Khelo India University Games.”

Pooja already has the roadmap ahead chalked out too.

“I am really happy, as it was my day, and I jumped 189m. I want to jump that high again, but right now I am happy with the 177m jump as I made a comeback from injury. I am preparing for the World Juniors and will look to finish it with a medal this time. I have already changed my training routine with the World Juniors and Asian Games in mind,” said Pooja.

Of course, there ought to have been some pressure?

“I have no pressure in mind, as I know I can beat my personal best of 189m. I just started training three weeks ago and already produced good results in the Khelo India University Games, so I am in a good state of mind to produce even better results in the upcoming events,” she stated.