In a remarkable turnaround, pole-vaulter Kuldeep Kumar set a new national record on Saturday, clearing 5.41 meters at the inaugural Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault Competition in Bhubaneswar. This achievement came months after he and teammate Dev Kumar Meena were briefly detained at Panvel railway station in Maharashtra for carrying their poles, which ticket examiners mistook for steel pipes.
Record-Breaking Performance
Representing Madhya Pradesh, the 21-year-old from Prayagraj bettered the previous national mark of 5.40 meters set by Meena at the World University Games last year. Kuldeep also surpassed Reegan Ganesh's indoor best of 5.30 meters. Ganesh finished second with a jump of 5.25 meters, while Meena took third with 5.20 meters.
Kuldeep expressed hope that his performance would help popularize pole vault in India and prevent others from facing similar harassment. He said, "Not many people know about pole vault in this country, but I'm happy that our performances will help take the sport forward."
Training and Consistency
Kuldeep and Meena train together under coach Ghanshyam Yadav at Bhopal's DSYW Academy. Kuldeep's record reflects his consistent form throughout the season, having achieved 5.25 meters at both the Indian Open Athletics Series and the Indian Open Jumps Competition earlier this year. On Saturday, he also attempted 5.46 meters but missed all three efforts.
"I was confident of setting a personal best. We prepared extensively and constantly push each other, so it was nice to achieve the national record," Kuldeep said.
First Indoor Competition
Interestingly, Saturday marked Kuldeep's first indoor competition, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed. Coming from a sporting family with three brothers involved in athletics, two of them pole vaulters, he said the choice of discipline came naturally.
Results
- Men: Kuldeep Kumar (Madhya Pradesh) 5.41m NR, Reegan Ganesh (Tamil Nadu) 5.25m, Dev Kumar Meena (Madhya Pradesh) 5.20m
- Men U20: Kavinraja S (Tamil Nadu) 4.90m, R Vishal (Tamil Nadu) 4.70m, Saurabh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 4.20m
Kuldeep and Meena are now looking forward to the Federation Cup and qualifying for major events in the coming months.
