All posts tagged: Pole Vault

‘Aasman ko chhedna hai’ – Dev Meena out to make a dent in the sky with a pole in his hand

‘Aasman ko chhedna hai’ – Dev Meena out to make a dent in the sky with a pole in his hand

Published by Webster

Dev Meena started out as a sprinter. 400m was his pet event when he first entered the TT Nagar Sports Complex in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, years ago. But on Monday, at the 2025 National Games in Uttarakhand, Dev soared high – up and above the Dehradun sky – to set a new Indian men’s national record in men’s pole vault. “Aasman ko chhedna hai sir. Unchaiyon ka game hai, vahi rehna hai. I want to create a dent in the sky [using the pole vault]. It is a game of heights and I want to stay there,” the 19-year-old Dev told reporters after setting the record. Dev did expectedly win the gold medal in the event as well with his 5.32m leap for a successful title defence, having also won the gold medal at the 2023 National Games in Goa. Dev switch from sprints to pole vault came at the behest of his now Ghanshyam, who first spotted him at the TT Nagar Sports Complex. He handed a young Dev, who was on the verge …

A pole vaulter by day and a waiter by night

A pole vaulter by day and a waiter by night

Published by Webster

In May this year, at the Indian Grand Prix II, Pole vaulter R. Yugendran cleared 5.20 meters to register a new meet record on the night. Five months later, his career hangs in the balance. “I might have to quit the sport if sponsorship doesn’t come through,” he tells this writer. At just 21 years of age, Yugendran is one of India’s leading pole vaulters. And yet, clearing the bar is the least of his worries. Instead, making everyday ends meet is. A workhorse Yugendran’s day begins rather early, at 4:30am. He cooks his own meals to maintain his diet before heading to Chennai’s Nehru Stadium for practice. His training sessions run from 6am to 10am, after which he returns to his room by noon. In the evenings, he practices again at 5pm, provided he doesn’t have server duties at a hotel, a job that he has had to take up to supplement his on-track aspirations. On days when he does have work, he squeezes in a gym session before heading straight to his job. …

Pavithra Vengatesh clinches pole vault gold with personal best effort

Published by Webster

Pavithra Vengatesh of Tamil Nadu came close to breaking the national record but fell short of the mark as she clinched the gold medal in the women’s pole vault at the third India Open Jumps competition in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Pavithra, however, returned with a personal best effort of 4.15m, falling 7cm short of Roy Meena Paulraj’s national record of 4.21m achieved in 2022 at the National Open athletics championships. Pavithra had crossed the 4.22m thrice, but all of her efforts were red-flagged by the line judge. In a field, where no other athlete managed to cross the four metres mark, the 22-year-old, who won the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships silver in 2023, clinched the yellow metal by bettering her PB of 4.10m by 5cm. Mariya Jaison of Kerala bagged the silver medal with a 3.80m jump, which is much lower than her personal best of 3.90m. Sindhushree G of Karnataka won the bronze medal. This feat is particularly rewarding for Pavithra, who was forced to miss the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships held in Tehran …

Indian Pole Vault Star Pavithra Venkatesh forced to quit Asian Championships

Published by Webster

Indian pole vaulter Pavithra Venkatesh, who clinched the silver medal at last year’s Asian indoor athletics championships, has been forced to sit out this year’s edition in Tehran. The setback came after her return from New Delhi last Saturday, where efforts by the Athletics Federation of India to transport her poles via cargo proved futile. Pavithra’s ordeal, along with that of National Games champion Baranica Elangovan, unfolded at Delhi airport last Thursday. Their airline refused to permit their equipment in checked baggage, leaving them stranded and scrambling for alternatives. Despite fervent attempts by officials, the poles failed to reach Tehran in time for the competition scheduled for Monday. Consequently, Pavithra made the tough decision to return to her hometown in Salem, while Baranica resolved to compete with a borrowed pole in her debut appearance. Sources close to the matter expressed frustration, pointing fingers at the Federation’s operations team for the oversight. They highlighted a similar incident during last June’s Asian Junior meet, indicating a lack of learning from past mistakes. With Baranica’s chances hanging by …