•Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar of Madhya Pradesh Academy broke the men’s pole vault national record twice on May 24, 2026, clearing 5.45m at the Federation Cup in Ranchi.
•Meena won gold on countback (fewer misses), while both athletes qualified for the 2026 Commonwealth Games with performances above the 5.25m mark.
•Murali Sreeshankar won long jump gold with 8.08m, and Sarvesh Kushare set a meet record in high jump at 2.28m, both meeting CWG qualification standards.
•Tejas Shirse improved his meet record in the 110m hurdles (13.50s) but missed the CWG qualifying time by 0.11 seconds.
•Ravina won the women’s 10,000m race walk in 44:29.66, qualifying for the Commonwealth Games.
•Coach Ghanshyam Yadav highlighted the positive impact of training together and healthy competition between the athletes.
•The Federation Cup served as a critical selection platform with multiple athletes achieving qualification marks for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In a dramatic display of athletic rivalry and technical brilliance, Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar of the Madhya Pradesh Academy shattered the men’s pole vault national record in a closely contested final at the Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships on Sunday, May 24, 2026. Representing the same training group and pushing each other to new heights, both athletes cleared 5.45m—improving the previous national mark of 5.41m set by Kuldeep just weeks earlier. The thrilling contest at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi saw Meena clinch the gold medal on countback, while Kuldeep took silver. Both athletes also comfortably met the Commonwealth Games qualification standard of 5.25m, securing their spots for the 2026 edition pending final selection.
The pole vault final unfolded in a high-stakes atmosphere as the duo progressed through the heights. Kuldeep had earlier set the national record at 5.41m in Bhubaneswar, but Meena responded by clearing 5.42m, momentarily taking the record. Minutes later, Kuldeep reclaimed the top spot by clearing 5.45m. Not to be outdone, Meena matched Kuldeep’s new record, setting up a dramatic finale. Both athletes then attempted 5.50m but failed to clear the height after three tries. Under countback rules, Meena was declared the winner as he had fewer total misses (8) compared to Kuldeep (9), even though both cleared the same height.
Reflecting on the historic performance, Meena said, “We did our best today and gave each other a good fight. We will continue to keep up our fight in order to improve further.” Kuldeep echoed the sentiment, stating, “We are still learning this technical sport and we will improve.” Their coach, Ghanshyam Yadav, who trains both athletes at the Madhya Pradesh Academy, praised their dedication and teamwork. “We had the 5.50m mark in mind when we came here. We went for that but I’m glad that our boys could improve the national record,” Yadav said. He highlighted how their shared training and friendly rivalry have driven consistent improvement, much like the sprint duo of Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur.
The Federation Cup also witnessed record-breaking performances in other disciplines. Murali Sreeshankar of Kerala won gold in the men’s long jump with a leap of 8.08m, surpassing the Commonwealth Games qualification standard of 8.05m. His third jump sealed the victory, though his final two attempts were fouls. Sarvesh Anil Kushare of Maharashtra delivered a standout performance in the high jump, clearing 2.28m to win gold and equalling Tejaswin Shankar’s meet record. He also attempted 2.30m to break the national record of 2.29m but fell short. Aadarsh Ram of Tamil Nadu secured silver with 2.22m, also qualifying for the Commonwealth Games.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Tejas Shirse of Reliance Athletics won gold in 13.50 seconds, improving his own meet record of 13.61 seconds set in 2023. Though he narrowly missed the Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 13.39 seconds, his performance was a highlight of the day. The women’s 10,000m race walk saw Ravina of Haryana claim gold in 44:29.66, comfortably under the CWG qualification standard of 44:44.58. She was followed by Reshma Patel and Munita Prajapati.
The men’s discus throw was won by Dharamraj Yadav of the Army with 55.20m, while Manpreet Kaur triumphed in the women’s hammer throw with 59.08m. In the women’s 100m hurdles, Nandhini K of Tamil Nadu took gold in 13.24 seconds. The competition also saw notable performances across race walking, hurdles, and throws, with several athletes breaching Commonwealth Games qualification marks.
The Federation Cup has emerged as a key platform for Indian athletes to showcase their progress ahead of major international events. The pole vault breakthrough by Meena and Kumar, along with consistent performances in jumping and throwing events, signals a positive trend in Indian athletics, driven by domestic competition and technical development.
