KOLKATA: In January this year, pole vaulter Kuldeep Kumar and teammate Dev Kumar Meena were removed from a train and briefly detained at Maharashtra’s Panvel railway station after a ticket inspector objected to their bringing poles into a carriage, calling the equipment “steel pipes”.Kuldeep got a befitting reply when he broke the national record with a clearance of 5.41m at the inaugural Indian Open Indoor and Pole Vault event in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.Kuldeep, who represents Madhya Pradesh, surpassed Meena’s national record of 540m set at the Universiade last year.“Not many people know about pole vaulting in this country, but I’m happy that our show will help grow the sport,” the 21-year-old Prayagraj resident said later, hoping it would ensure no one has to go through what the two did in Panvel.Kuldeep’s feat also took him beyond Reegan Ganesh’s indoor best of 5.30m set at the inaugural National Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in March. The Tamil Nadu vaulter finished second with a jump of 5.25m on Saturday, while Meena finished third with a best jump of 5.20m.“Dev suffered a small setback today but we are all now looking to do better in the Confederations Cup and qualify for major tournaments in the coming months,” Kuldeep added.Kuldeep and Meena train with Meena under the guidance of coach Ghanshyam Yadav at DSYW Academy in Bhopal.
His record is a testament to Kuldeep’s consistency throughout the season. Earlier this year, he cleared 525m at both the Indian Athletics Open and the Indian Jumping Open. On Saturday, he also attempted 5.46m, but all three attempts at this height failed.“I’m confident of setting a personal best. We prepared well and kept pushing each other, so it’s great to set a national record,” Kuldeep said.Coming from a sporting family, with three brothers all involved in athletics – two of them pole vaulters – Kuldeep said the choice of sport was a natural one. Interestingly, Saturday was his first indoor competition and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “It’s a new experience and we’re excited to compete. I’m happy to set a national record here,” he said.Results: Pole Vault: Men: Kuldeep Kumar (Madhya Pradesh) 5.41m NR, Reegan Ganesh (Tamil Nadu) 5.25m, Dev Kumar Meena (Madhya Pradesh) 5.20m; Men U20: Kavinraja S (Tamil Nadu) 4.90m, R Vishal (Tamil Nadu) 4.70m, Saurabh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 4.20m.Medal photo caption: (from right) Reegan Ganesh, Kuldeep Kumar and Dev Kumar Meena in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
