Dev Kumar Meena, Kuldeep Kumar vault to 5.45m national record in Ranchi
Synopsis
Two training partners from Madhya Pradesh just rewrote Indian pole vault history together. Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar both cleared 5.45m at the National Senior Athletics Championship in Ranchi — breaking the 5.41m record Kuldeep himself had set just weeks earlier — with gold separated only by countback. Both have now cleared the Commonwealth Games qualification mark.
Key Takeaways
Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar (both Madhya Pradesh) cleared 5.45m to set a new national record in men's pole vault on 24 May in Ranchi .
The previous national record of 5.41m was set by Kuldeep Kumar in Bhubaneswar ; Meena held the previous meet record of 5.35m .
Both athletes have cleared the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 5.25m .
Murali Sreeshankar won the long jump gold with 8.08m , surpassing the CWG mark of 8.05m .
Sarvesh Anil Kushare cleared 2.28m in high jump, equalling the meet record and clearing the CWG standard.
Ravina (Haryana) won the women's 10,000m race walk in 44:29.66 seconds , inside the CWG qualification time.
Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar, both representing Madhya Pradesh, rewrote the national record in men's pole vault by clearing 5.45m on the penultimate day of the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi on Sunday, 24 May. The duo surpassed the previous national mark of 5.41m — itself set recently by Kuldeep Kumar in Bhubaneswar — in a remarkable display of depth from a single state.
Gold Goes to Meena on Countback
With both athletes clearing the same height, the gold medal was decided on countback, with Dev Kumar Meena taking the top honours and Kuldeep Kumar settling for silver. The result means a training partnership has produced both the national record and its predecessor. The previous meet record of 5.35m had also been held by Meena, set last year at the same competition.
Both athletes have now cleared the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 5.25m, putting them firmly in contention for international selection. 'It was a good day for us and we will continue to push each other to further raise the bar in future,' a jubilant Meena said after claiming gold.
Field Events Dominate the Penultimate Day
While sprinters had commanded attention on Saturday, Sunday belonged to the field. Murali Sreeshankar won the men's long jump gold with a leap of 8.08m, clearing the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 8.05m. In men's high jump, Sarvesh Anil Kushare of Maharashtra dominated with a gold-medal performance of 2.28m, equalling the meet record previously held by Tejaswin Shankar and surpassing the CWG mark of 2.22m. Kushare also attempted 2.30m to better the national record of 2.29m but missed all three tries. Silver medallist Aadarsh Ram also achieved the CWG qualification standard.
In the men's 110m hurdles, Tejas Ashok Shirse representing Reliance clocked 13.50 seconds, improving his own meet record of 13.61 seconds, though he narrowly missed the Commonwealth Games qualification time of 13.39 seconds.
Ravina Secures CWG Spot in Race Walk
In the morning session, Ravina of Haryana won the women's 10,000m race walk gold with a time of 44:29.66 seconds, comfortably inside the Commonwealth Games qualification time of 44:44.58 seconds.
Key Results from Day Four
Men's 1500m: Rahul Baloda (Rajasthan) 3:40.06 secs; Sakir (Haryana) 3:40.83 secs; Ajay Kumar Saroj (Uttar Pradesh) 3:40.92 secs. Men's Discus Throw: Dharamraj Yadav (Army) 55.20m; Bhartpreet Singh (Navy) 54.62m; Oinam Alson Singh (NCOE Patiala) 53.52m. Women's 100m Hurdles: Nandhini K (Tamil Nadu) 13.24 secs; Pragyan Prashanti Sahu (Odisha) 13.33 secs; Anjali C (JSW) 13.35 secs. Women's Hammer Throw: Manpreet Kaur (Punjab) 59.08m; Kulvinder Kaur (Railways Sports) 57.76m; Divya Dhandilya (Odisha) 56.41m.
With the competition's final day still to come, the meet has already produced multiple national records and a clutch of Commonwealth Games qualification marks, signalling a strong showing for Indian athletics ahead of the Games.
Point of View
The same training group, simultaneously break a national record is rare in any discipline, and it puts pressure on selectors to field both at the Commonwealth Games rather than default to a single pick. The broader day's results — Sreeshankar clearing the CWG long jump mark, Kushare pushing the high jump national record bar — suggest this generation of Indian field athletes is peaking at the right time. The question is whether the support infrastructure around them can sustain that momentum through to Birmingham and beyond.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What national record did Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar set?
Both athletes cleared 5.45m in the men's pole vault at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi on 24 May, breaking the previous national record of 5.41m that Kuldeep Kumar had set in Bhubaneswar. Meena won gold on countback, with Kuldeep taking silver.
Have Meena and Kuldeep Kumar qualified for the Commonwealth Games?
Yes. Both athletes cleared the Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 5.25m with their record-breaking 5.45m vaults. They are now eligible for selection to represent India at the Games.
Who won the men's long jump and high jump at the Ranchi meet?
Murali Sreeshankar won the men's long jump gold with 8.08m, surpassing the CWG qualification mark of 8.05m. Sarvesh Anil Kushare of Maharashtra won the men's high jump with 2.28m, equalling the meet record and clearing the CWG standard of 2.22m.
Did any women athletes achieve Commonwealth Games qualification marks?
Yes. Ravina of Haryana won the women's 10,000m race walk gold in 44:29.66 seconds, which was inside the Commonwealth Games qualification time of 44:44.58 seconds. High jump silver medallist Aadarsh Ram also cleared the men's CWG mark of 2.22m.
What is the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition?
It is India's premier senior-level national athletics championship, held in Ranchi this year, where athletes compete across track and field disciplines. Results from the meet are used to assess Commonwealth Games qualification, and the competition serves as a key selection benchmark for Indian athletics.
