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Asian Games women’s high jump bronze medallist Pooja Singh has joined Vel Sports, the athlete-management company associated with Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, according to an India Today report published on October 28, 2026. The move follows Singh’s breakthrough performance in Nagoya, where she cleared 1.84 metres to win bronze at the 2026 Asian Games.
Singh’s medal ended India’s 24-year wait for an Asian Games podium finish in the women’s high jump. Her move to Vel Sports places a rising Indian athletics talent within a management setup linked to one of the country’s most prominent track-and-field athletes, although details of the agreement and its duration have not been independently confirmed in the available reporting.
Singh secured third place in the women’s high jump final on September 29, clearing 1.84m. Uzbekistan’s Barnokhon Sayfullaeva won gold with a 1.90m clearance, while Kazakhstan’s Kristina Ovchinnikova took silver at 1.87m. Singh could not clear 1.87m in three attempts, but her successful clearance at 1.84m was enough to earn the bronze medal.
The result was significant for Indian athletics because the country had not won an Asian Games medal in the women’s high jump since Bobby Aloysius took silver in 2002. Singh’s podium finish therefore marked a return to the event’s continental medal standings after more than two decades.
Singh’s performance also came during a productive period for Indian athletics at the Games. India collected medals across track and field, including results in the men’s high jump, javelin, distance running and relay events. Her bronze added to that broader campaign and brought attention to a discipline that has often received less public focus than India’s more established athletics events.
Vel Sports is associated with Neeraj Chopra, India’s two-time Olympic medallist in the javelin throw. Singh’s reported decision to join the company connects her with a sports-management organisation linked to a leading figure in Indian athletics. The announcement is notable as young athletes increasingly look for support beyond competition preparation, including professional representation and career planning.
The precise terms of Singh’s reported association have not been detailed in the sources available for this article. It would therefore be premature to make claims about contract length, commercial deals, training arrangements or changes to her coaching team. The confirmed central development from the India Today report is her joining Vel Sports.
Chopra himself missed the 2026 Asian Games after suffering an ankle ligament tear in training, which ruled him out of the Games and the remainder of his season. His association with Vel Sports nevertheless provides a prominent connection for the company as it adds an athlete from a different athletics discipline.
Singh’s bronze followed another important milestone in her career. Reports said she cleared 1.93m at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships, surpassing Sahana Kumari’s 14-year-old Indian national record. That jump established Singh as a significant name in Indian women’s high jump before her senior-level Asian Games podium finish.
Her 1.84m clearance in Nagoya was below that reported national-record height, but the context of a major championship final matters: the medal was decided by the heights cleared and the athletes’ attempts on the day. Singh’s ability to secure a podium finish at the senior continental level represents a further step after her under-20 record performance.
The next phase of her development will depend on competition results, consistency and the support available to her. A management association may help with career planning and visibility, but the practical impact will become clearer through future competition schedules and any further announcements from Singh or Vel Sports.
Singh’s immediate focus will be to build on her Asian Games result and continue progressing in the women’s high jump. The bronze has raised her profile, while the reported Vel Sports move adds a new development off the track. No specific next competition or training change was confirmed in the source material used for this report.
For Indian athletics, Singh’s story offers a reminder that progress in field events is built through sustained development as well as standout championship performances. Her 1.93m national-record clearance and 1.84m Asian Games bronze provide the competitive context for this latest career move. Further details about her association with Vel Sports should be attributed to official statements if and when they are released.
