Anurag Thakur hails Baranica Elangovan's historic Asian Games bronze
Synopsis
Baranica Elangovan has become the first Indian to win a pole vault medal at the Asian Games, claiming bronze. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, former sports minister, celebrated the landmark achievement on 25 September 2026, calling it a historic moment for Indian athletics.
Key Takeaways
Baranica Elangovan won a bronze medal in pole vault at the 2026 Asian Games , becoming the first Indian to reach the podium in this event at the Games.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur , former Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, publicly congratulated Elangovan on 25 September 2026 .
Pole vault has historically seen very limited Indian participation at continental level, making this medal a genuine milestone.
The Khelo India scheme, launched in 2017 , has been a key driver of India's improving athletics performance at successive Asian Games editions.
India's athletics contingent has shown a pattern of gradual improvement at major multi-sport events with growing institutional support.
History was made on the pole vault runway at the 2026 Asian Games when Baranica Elangovan cleared the bar to claim a bronze medal — the first ever by an Indian in the discipline at the Games. BJP MP Anurag Thakur, the former Union Minister who once held the sports portfolio, was among the first to mark the moment on Friday, 25 September 2026.
India's first pole vault podium at the Asian Games
Pole vault has long been a frontier India rarely reached at continental level. The event demands a rare blend of sprinting speed, gymnastic technique, and explosive strength — a combination that India's athletics pipeline struggled to produce at the highest level for decades. Baranica Elangovan's bronze changes that equation entirely, planting the Indian tricolour on a podium that had never seen it before in this event.
Thakur, posting under the hashtag #Cheer4Bharat, called it 'creating history' and urged the athlete to 'keep winning' — words that carry a particular resonance from a former sports minister who oversaw key phases of India's institutional push in athletics.
The Khelo India pipeline and India's rising athletics arc
India's gradual ascent in athletics at successive Asian Games editions has not happened by accident. The Khelo India scheme, launched in 2017, was designed precisely to identify and nurture talent in disciplines — including track and field — where India historically underperformed at the continental stage. Pole vault, with its infrastructure and coaching demands, was among the harder disciplines to break through in. Elangovan's medal is a data point that suggests the pipeline is now reaching events it once barely touched.
The broader pattern is clear: with greater institutional support for training, competitive exposure, and sports science, Indian athletes are moving from participation to podiums in events that would have seemed out of reach a generation ago.
What this bronze signals for Indian athletics
A first-ever medal in any discipline at a major multi-sport event is not a ceiling — it is a floor. Every subsequent Indian pole vaulter will now train knowing a continental podium is achievable. The next markers to watch are whether Elangovan can convert this momentum into a World Athletics Championship or Olympic qualification standard, and whether the performance triggers deeper investment in the event at the grassroots level.
One bronze, one history made. The bar, quite literally, has been raised.
Point of View
Making high-profile podium finishes in niche events diplomatically useful. If the Khelo India pipeline continues to produce firsts in previously uncharted disciplines, the policy case for sustained athletics funding becomes progressively easier to make.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Baranica Elangovan?
Baranica Elangovan is an Indian pole vault athlete who made history at the 2026 Asian Games by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the pole vault event at the Games, claiming a bronze.
What did India win in pole vault at the 2026 Asian Games?
India won a bronze medal in pole vault at the 2026 Asian Games through Baranica Elangovan — a historic first for the country in this discipline at the continental Games.
Why is this Asian Games pole vault medal significant for India?
It is India's first-ever podium finish in pole vault at the Asian Games, marking a breakthrough in a technically demanding discipline where India had very limited competitive history at continental level.
What is the Khelo India scheme?
Khelo India is a government scheme launched in 2017 to promote grassroots sports and support athletes across disciplines including athletics, aiming to improve India's performance at major multi-sport events.
What did Anurag Thakur say about Baranica Elangovan's medal?
BJP MP Anurag Thakur congratulated Elangovan on social media, calling her achievement 'history' and saying she had become the first Indian to win a pole vault medal at the Asian Games, urging her to 'keep winning'.
