Heist-op-den-Berg, Feb 11 (IANS): National record holder Tejaswin Shankar impressively began his 2024 season, winning the high jump event at the International High Jump Gala Elmos 2024 athletics meet.

Competing for the first time since October last year, Tejaswin recorded a 2.23m jump to win the World Athletics Indoor Tour Challenger event on Saturday.

Another Indian in action, Jesse Sandesh has finished joint-10th with a 2.09m jump.

The 25-year-old Tejaswin holds both the men’s high jump and decathlon national records. In recent years he had prioritised the decathlon. The Asian Games silver medallist in the decathlon, however, is focussing on his pet event high jump this year intending to make the cut for the Paris 2024 Olympics for which the qualifying standard for men’s high jump is set at 2.33m.

Earlier this month, the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) in their recent meeting approved Tejaswin's request for financial assistance towards participation in continental tour events in Europe.

After the Belgium meet, he will next be in action at the Hvezdy v Nehvizdech athletics meet in Nehvizdy, the Czech Republic on February 20.