KOLKATA: In January this year, pole vaulter Kuldeep Kumar and his teammate Dev Kumar Meena were removed from their train and briefly detained at Panvel railway station in Maharashtra after ticket inspectors intercepted them carrying their poles inside the coach, referring to the equipment as “steel tubes”.On Saturday, Kuldeep got a befitting response when he broke the national record by clearing 5.41m at the inaugural edition of the combined All India Indoor Open and Pole Vault competition in Bhubaneswar.Representing Madhya Pradesh, Kuldeep broke the previous national record of 5.40m, which Meena had set at the World University Games last year.“Not many people know about pole vaulting in this country, but I am happy that our performance will help take the sport forward,” the 21-year-old, who is based in Prayagraj, said afterwards, hoping that it would ensure that no one else had to go through what the duo did in Panvel.Kuldeep’s feat also helped him surpass Rejan Ganesh’s indoor best of 5.30 metres, which was achieved during the first National Indoor Athletics Championships held in Bhubaneswar in March. On Saturday, the Tamil Nadu jumper finished second with a jump of 5.25 metres, while Meena endured a quiet outing to finish third with a jump of 5.20 metres.“Dave faced a minor setback today, but we are both now looking forward to doing better in the Fed Cup and qualifying for bigger events in the coming months,” Kuldeep added.
Kuldeep and Meena are training together along with Meena under coach Ghanshyam Yadav at DSYW Academy in Bhopal.
His record is a testament to Kuldeep’s consistency throughout the season. He cleared 5.25m at both the Indian Open Athletics Series and the Indian Open Jumping competition earlier this year. On Saturday, he also attempted 5.46 metres, but missed all three attempts at the height.“I was confident of achieving a personal best. We have prepared extensively and are constantly pushing each other, so it was good to achieve the national record,” Kuldeep said.Kuldeep comes from an athletic family that includes three brothers who practice athletics – two of them in the pole vault – and said choosing the discipline came naturally. Interestingly, Saturday saw his first indoor competition, an experience he thoroughly enjoyed. “It was a new experience and we were excited to compete. I am very happy to achieve the national record here,” he said.Results: Pole Vault: Men: Kuldeep Kumar (Madhya Pradesh) 5.41m, Rejan Ganesh (Tamil Nadu) 5.25m, Dev Kumar Meena (Madhya Pradesh) 5.20m; Men U20: S Kavinaraja (Tamil Nadu) 4.90m, R Vishal (Tamil Nadu) 4.70m, Saurabh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 4.20m.Medal photo caption: (From right) Rejan Ganesh, Kuldeep Kumar and Dev Kumar Meena in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.