Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar created history at the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi by setting a new national record of 5.45m in men’s pole vault, while several Indian athletes achieved Commonwealth Games qualification standards in field and track events.
The penultimate day of the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi witnessed a remarkable display of talent and determination as Madhya Pradesh athletes Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar scripted history in the men’s pole vault event.
Both athletes cleared an impressive height of 5.45 metres to establish a new national record, surpassing the previous mark of 5.41 metres. The earlier national record had been set recently by Kuldeep Kumar in Bhubaneswar. Although both athletes achieved the same height in Ranchi, Dev Kumar Meena secured the gold medal on countback, while Kuldeep Kumar settled for silver.
The outstanding performance also ensured qualification for the Commonwealth Games, as both athletes comfortably crossed the qualification standard of 5.25 metres. The previous meet record of 5.35 metres, set by Dev Kumar Meena last year, was also eclipsed during the competition.
Training partners and close friends, Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar expressed happiness after their memorable achievement. Dev Kumar Meena said their focus now shifts toward replicating such performances on the international stage. He added that both athletes continuously motivate each other to push their limits further in future competitions.
While sprint events dominated attention on Saturday, Sunday belonged largely to the field athletes, who delivered several outstanding performances throughout the day.
In the men’s long jump event, Murali Sreeshankar emerged victorious with a leap of 8.08 metres, surpassing the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 8.05 metres. His performance once again underlined his consistency as one of India’s leading jumpers.
The men’s high jump competition also produced impressive results. Maharashtra’s Sarvesh Anil Kushare claimed the gold medal with a jump of 2.28 metres, exceeding the Commonwealth Games qualification standard of 2.22 metres. Kushare also equalled the meet record previously set by Tejaswin Shankar.
The Maharashtra athlete later attempted 2.30 metres in an effort to improve the national record of 2.29 metres but narrowly failed in all three attempts. Tamil Nadu’s Aadarsh Ram, who secured the silver medal with a jump of 2.22 metres, also achieved the Commonwealth Games qualification standard.
In track events, Tejas Ashok Shirse representing Reliance dominated the men’s 110m hurdles final. He clocked 13.50 seconds to win gold and improve his own meet record of 13.61 seconds. However, he narrowly missed the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 13.39 seconds.
Earlier in the day, Haryana athlete Ravina delivered a strong performance in the women’s 10,000m race walk. She clinched gold with a timing of 44 minutes 29.66 seconds, comfortably bettering the Commonwealth Games qualification standard of 44 minutes 44.58 seconds.
Other notable performances included Rahul Baloda winning the men’s 1500m title for Rajasthan, while Dharamraj Yadav secured gold in the men’s discus throw event. In the women’s section, Nandhini K won the 100m hurdles title, and Manpreet Kaur emerged victorious in the hammer throw competition.
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The championship in Ranchi has become a major platform for Indian athletes preparing for upcoming international competitions. Several athletes not only captured medals but also achieved important qualification standards, reflecting the growing strength and depth of Indian athletics across multiple disciplines.
