CM Pema Khandu Hails Baranica Elangovan's Historic Bronze
Synopsis
Baranica Elangovan has become the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in pole vault, claiming bronze at the 2026 edition in Japan. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu celebrated the historic achievement, calling it a landmark moment for Indian women's athletics.
Key Takeaways
Baranica Elangovan won the bronze medal in Women's Pole Vault at the 2026 Asian Games .
She is the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in the pole vault discipline.
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu hailed it as a 'historic achievement' on X.
The 2026 Asian Games are hosted by Japan .
India's record tally at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games exceeded 100 medals , a trend the 2026 squad is building upon.
The medal reflects India's deliberate push to develop specialised athletics disciplines for women.
A bar was cleared, a record fell, and Indian women's athletics wrote a new line in its history. Baranica Elangovan claimed the bronze medal in the Women's Pole Vault at the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday, September 26, becoming the first Indian woman ever to win an Asian Games medal in the discipline — a moment that stopped the Indian athletics community in its tracks.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu was among the first to mark the moment, posting on X: 'HISTORY MADE! Congratulations to Baranica Elangovan on winning Bronze in the Women's Pole Vault at #AsianGames2026! A historic achievement as she becomes the first Indian woman to win an Asian Games medal in pole vault.' The exuberance was earned. This is not a milestone built overnight.
Why This Vault Clears More Than a Bar
Pole vault is technically demanding and historically thin on South Asian representation — it demands explosive speed, gymnastic flexibility, and years of specialised coaching that most Indian programmes have only recently begun to develop seriously. For a woman from India to not just compete but medal at the continental level is a statement about how far the country's athletics infrastructure has come.
India's trajectory at the Asian Games has been one of deliberate acceleration. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, the country recorded its best-ever medal tally, crossing 100 medals across disciplines. The 2026 edition in Japan is now adding fresh chapters to that story, with Elangovan's bronze among the most striking.
Elangovan's Bronze and India's Broadening Sports Base
India's sports establishment has in recent years pushed deliberately into events once considered out of reach — field events, combat sports, rowing, sailing — as part of a broader strategy to widen the medal base beyond traditional strongholds. Pole vault for women is precisely the kind of frontier event that strategy targets. Elangovan's medal is both a personal triumph and proof that those investments are landing.
The Athletics Federation of India and the Sports Ministry now face a predictable but important next question: how does the system rally around a newly minted trailblazer to ensure this bronze is a floor, not a ceiling?
India's women have now claimed Asian Games podiums in sprints, jumps, throws, and — as of today — pole vault. The map keeps expanding. Baranica Elangovan just planted a flag on territory no Indian woman had ever reached before.
Point of View
Elite coaching access, and international exposure for the next cohort of women pole vaulters. India has repeatedly shown it can produce a pioneering performance; the harder task is to make it routine.
NationPress
26 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 woman to win an Asian Games medal in the women's pole vault event, claiming the bronze.
Where are the 2026 Asian Games being held?
The 2026 Asian Games are hosted by Japan.
What medal did India win in Women's Pole Vault at Asian Games 2026?
India won a bronze medal in Women's Pole Vault at the 2026 Asian Games, secured by Baranica Elangovan.
Why is Baranica Elangovan's medal historic?
It is historic because she became the first Indian woman ever to win a medal in pole vault at the Asian Games, opening a discipline in which no Indian woman had previously medalled at this level.
What did Pema Khandu say about Baranica Elangovan's win?
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu posted on X calling it 'HISTORY MADE' and congratulating Elangovan on what he described as a historic achievement for India.
