NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh athletes Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar cleared 5.45 meters to break the national pole vault record during the National Athletics Federation’s senior competition in Ranchi on Sunday, but Dev won the gold medal on countback after a close contest on the third and penultimate day of the event.Hours after clinching the joint national record, both athletes were seen traveling in an e-rickshaw with their poles and equipment loaded alongside them after leaving the Birsa Munda stadium.
The photos sparked strong reactions online, with many questioning the lack of support for the athletes. The pole vault equipment is specialized, heavy and delicate, but athletes had to arrange for the equipment to be transported in an electronic wheelbarrow.
Earlier this year, Dev and Kuldeep also faced problems while traveling after the All India Inter-University Championship. Both of them were asked to get off the train at Panvel station by TTE while returning from the event. Railway officials asked them to pay a fine for carrying their pole vaulting equipment inside the coach, referring to the poles as “steel pipes.”Their struggles away from the field contrasted sharply with their performance in Ranchi, where the men’s pole vault final became one of the highlights of the competition.
Kuldeep entered the event as the national record holder with a mark of 5.41m, but Dev was the first to surpass him after clearing a distance of 5.42m during the competition.The lead changed within minutes as Kuldeep responded with a 5.45m sweep. Dave then matched the same height, ensuring that both athletes finished the event as joint national record holders.Although both cleared a distance of 5.45 metres, Dev Kumar Meena took the gold medal on countback, while Kuldeep Kumar finished with the silver medal.The countdown is a tie-breaking technique used in the pole vault and high jump events when athletes achieve the same height. The winner is determined based on who needs the least number of attempts during the competition.Both the athletes also crossed the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualifying mark of 5.25m set by the Athletics Federation of India.