Shahnawaz Khan was just 10 when his father, a taxi driver, passed away. He was too young to even process the loss. Two years later, in 2019, he found his calling in sports, practising in the village farms of Pratapgarh district, Uttar Pradesh. He learned technique by watching local youngsters and YouTube videos, slowly honing his craft.\
“Gaon me sab bache sports karte the toh maine bhi shuru kar diya. (I saw kids in my village do sports so I got involved.),” Shahnawaz tells IIS. Shahnawaz’s journey began from those dusty village fields with bare minimum resources. What he lacked in facilities, he made up for with his strong will and determination.
And it paid off sooner rather than later. His breakthrough came at the Junior Federation Cup in 2024, where he bagged the top spot and was signed up for IIS. Since then, Shahnawaz has taken giant leaps and established himself as one of the best age-group jumpers. In March, he pulled off a 7.41m at the Junior Federation Cup to book a spot in the Indian team for the Asian Under-18 Championships in Dubai. He may not have finished on the podium but earned valuable experience.
At the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze event in Bhubaneswar, the 17-year-old was so confident of breaching the 8m mark that he wrote a message on the back of his bib — short but heartfelt: “8m +, Miss you, Dad.”
He delivered. A leap of 8.04m not only won him the silver but also broke the U18 national record. The mark placed him second on the U18 and fourth on the U20 world-leading lists this year.
All that was left was to turn around and share the message with the world. “I wanted to dedicate this achievement to my father,” he said. “But I wish my dad was here to see this.”
