Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar© NDTV
Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar pushed each other to the limit in a memorable pole vault contest at the Federation Cup 2026, with both athletes finishing the day with a joint national record of 5.45m. The competition turned into a thrilling back-and-forth battle between the two IIS athletes. Both vaulters, supported by the Inspire Institute of Sport, went neck and neck through the competition, matching each other height for height in a thrilling battle. They first cleared 5.42m to better the previous national record of 5.41m set by Kuldeep Kumar earlier this month in Bhubaneswar. The contest then reached another level as both athletes soared to a massive 5.45m, not only rewriting the national record once again but also securing qualification for the upcoming Commonwealth Games while also achieving the qualification mark for the Asian Games.
Reflecting on the competition, Dev said, “Kuldeep gave a very good fight, and I also gave him a very good fight. We’ll carry this spirit forward so that we can break this level properly in the future. When he cleared 5.42m, I thought there was no point in just matching that height. Let’s try for a larger target ahead. If it happens, great. If not, that’s okay too. But then he cleared it as well. He gave a really good fight.”
Kuldeep added, “We mostly train outdoors, so the indoor competition was a first-time experience for us. But if we can perform well here, then we can definitely do even better outdoors. In a game like pole vault, support is extremely important. No one can continue alone for a long time in this sport.”
The tightly contested competition highlighted not only the growing standard of Indian pole vaulting but also the healthy rivalry and mutual respect between two of the country’s brightest young athletes.
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