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Tejaswin Shankar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth21 December 1998

Age24 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceVaranasi, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionAthlete and Accountant

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyMother - Lakshmi Shankar; Father - Hari Shankar (died 2014); Sister - Avantika Shankar

Tejaswin Shankar Biography

Indian high jumper and multi-event athlete Tejaswin Shankar rose from school-level cricket and a school teacher’s suggestion to become one of India’s top跳力

Early life and background
Tejaswin Shankar was born on 21 December 1998 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and grew up in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. He attended Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in New Delhi before moving to the United States for higher education at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, where he completed a degree in business administration. Known by the nickname TJ, Shankar is Indian by nationality and of Tamil ethnicity.

Shankar began his sporting life as a young cricketer and admired fast bowlers. His physical education teacher, Sunil Kumar, noticed his natural spring in the run-up and encouraged him to try the high jump. That early nudge changed the direction of his athletic career.

Career
Tejaswin Shankar established himself quickly in junior competition. He made his international debut at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia, Samoa, where he set a games record by clearing 2.14 metres in 2015. In November 2016 he cleared 2.26 metres at the Junior National Championship in Coimbatore, breaking a long-standing national senior record.

In 2018 Shankar moved into the international collegiate circuit in the United States and began setting indoor and outdoor national bests. He posted an indoor national mark of 2.18 metres at the Big 12 Indoor Championship in Ames, Iowa, and later that year recorded 2.29 metres at the Texas Tech Corky-Crofoot Shootout. Representing Kansas State, he won NCAA high jump titles, becoming one of the few Indian athletes to win multiple NCAA championships.

Shankar’s progress continued into the 2020s. He matched national bests and won honours at U.S. collegiate championships, and in 2022 he produced a 2.27-metre leap while competing at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. That same year he secured a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a 2.22-metre jump, the first time India had won a high jump medal at the Games. He was also recognised in the U.S. as the Midwest Region Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

In 2023 Shankar expanded his competitive range by contesting the decathlon at the Asian Games, where he scored 7666 points to win the silver medal and surpassed a national decathlon record that had stood since the 1970s.

Throughout his career he has worked with coaches including Sunil Kumar, Cliff Rovelto and Nallusamy Annavi. His record list includes national junior and senior marks, indoor and outdoor bests, and several championship golds at national and collegiate meets.

Public profile
Shankar’s journey has included injury setbacks and selection battles. He suffered a slipped disc in 2016 that left him bedridden for months and ruled him out of that year’s World Junior Championship. He has also faced challenges in team selection; ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games he had to pursue inclusion through the courts before being added to India’s squad.

Off the field, Shankar has been open about his sporting inspirations and preferences. He admires cricketers such as Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli and has identified high jumper Derek Drouin among his athletic influences. Personal details often noted in profiles include his height of 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in), weight around 80 kg, black hair and eyes, and tattoos on both arms.

Family and relationships
Tejaswin’s parents are both lawyers. His father, Hari Shankar, died in 2014; his mother is Lakshmi Shankar. He has a sister, Avantika Shankar. Public information lists him as unmarried and in a relationship with fellow track-and-field athlete Siddhi Hiray.

Latest updates
In 2022 Shankar won Commonwealth Games bronze in Birmingham, marking a milestone for India in the high jump. He continued to compete at a high level through 2022 and 2023, adding a national decathlon record and an Asian Games silver medal in 2023 to his achievements. He remains active in international competition and in U.S. collegiate and regional athletics circles.

Tejaswin’s trajectory from a cricket-playing schoolboy to a national-record-holding high jumper and multi-event athlete highlights persistence through injury and selection hurdles, and a willingness to develop in different competitive environments.
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Recent Work

Commonwealth Games — High Jump

Bronze medal with a mark of 2.22m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

2022
Asian Games — Decathlon

Silver medal with 7666 points and a national decathlon record at the 2023 Asian Games

2023
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Career Highlights

  1. 2015: Games record of 2.14m at Commonwealth Youth Games, Apia, Samoa
  2. 2016: National senior record of 2.26m at Junior National Championship in Coimbatore
  3. 2018: NCAA high jump titles and a 2.29m jump in the United States
  4. 2022: Commonwealth Games bronze medal (2.22m)
  5. 2023: Silver medal in decathlon at the Asian Games with 7666 points
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Tejaswin Shankar born?

21 December 1998

What is Tejaswin Shankar known for?

Athlete and Accountant

What is Tejaswin Shankar’s marital status?

Unmarried