Sindhushree sets national record in pole vault; Animesh, Unnathi book Asian Games berths
Synopsis
Sindhushree G cleared 4.25m to break a three-year-old national pole vault record at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium — and that was just one highlight. A single day at the Inter-State Athletics Championships produced Asian Games qualifiers in sprints, hurdles, decathlon, shot put, and pole vault, signalling India's deepest track-and-field squad in years ahead of Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Key Takeaways
Sindhushree G set a new national record in women's pole vault with a 4.25m clearance, surpassing Rosy Meena Paulraj's mark of 4.21m from 15 October 2022 .
Animesh Kujur won the Men's 200m gold in 20.74 seconds and qualified for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya .
Unnathi Bollanda and Harita both qualified in the Women's 200m , clocking 23.658s and 23.55s respectively.
Tejas Shirse qualified in the Men's 110m hurdles with a time of 13.43 seconds , beating the 13.63s standard.
Thowfeeq N (Kerala, 7,276 pts ) and Kushal Mohite (Maharashtra, 7,251 pts ) both cleared the Decathlon Asian Games standard of 7,250 points .
Manpreet Kaur and Srishti Vig joined Krishna Jayasankar in clearing the Women's Shot Put qualification mark of 16.25m .
Sindhushree G shattered the national record in women's pole vault with a leap of 4.25 metres at the 65th National Senior Inter-State Athletics Championships at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, on Thursday, 25 June, as a wave of athletes secured berths for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Sprinters Animesh Kujur and Unnathi Bollanda were among the standouts, punching their tickets to Japan with qualifying performances in the 200m.
Sindhushree's Record-Breaking Vault
Sindhushree's 4.25m clearance eclipsed the previous national record of 4.21m set by Rosy Meena Paulraj on 15 October 2022 at the Indian Championships in Bengaluru. Baranica Flangovan also earned her Asian Games spot in the same event, clearing 4.20m to meet the qualification standard for the Games beginning 19 September.
Animesh and Unnathi Sprint to Aichi-Nagoya
Animesh Kujur clocked 20.87 seconds in the Men's 200m semifinals to breach the Asian Games qualifying mark, then went on to claim the gold medal in the final with a time of 20.74 seconds. In the Women's 200m, Unnathi Bollanda delivered a commanding run, clocking 23.658 seconds to secure her place in Japan. Harita also qualified in the same race, finishing in 23.55 seconds.
Hurdles, Decathlon, and Shot Put Produce More Qualifiers
Tejas Shirse qualified for the Asian Games in the Men's 110m hurdles, clocking 13.43 seconds — comfortably inside the qualifying mark of 13.63 seconds. This came a day after Jyothi Yarraji had made the cut in the same discipline on the women's side.
The Men's Decathlon produced a nail-biting finish, with Thowfeeq N of Kerala claiming gold with 7,276 points and Kushal Mohite of Maharashtra taking silver with 7,251 points. Both surpassed the Asian Games qualification standard of 7,250 points.
In the Women's Shot Put, Manpreet Kaur of Haryana and Srishti Vig of Delhi joined Krishna Jayasankar in clearing the 16.25m Asian Games qualification standard, taking the total qualifiers in the event to three.
Opening Day Highlights
The championships had opened on Wednesday with equally striking performances. Pole vaulter Dev Meena, teenage hammer thrower Anuskha Yadav, and sprinter-cum-hurdler Jyothi Yarraji lit up the floodlit Kalinga Stadium in the evening session, with several athletes achieving Asian Games qualification marks across disciplines.
With the championships still ongoing, India's contingent for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is taking rapid shape — and the performances at Bhubaneswar suggest the country's track-and-field programme is entering the Games with genuine depth.
Point of View
But the deeper story is structural: India is producing depth, not just individual peaks, in sprints, throws, and combined events simultaneously. The real question is whether Athletics Federation of India's support infrastructure — coaching, altitude camps, competition exposure — can convert these qualifying marks into medals at Aichi-Nagoya, a gap that has historically cost India at the Asian Games stage.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What national record did Sindhushree G set at the Inter-State Athletics Championships?
Sindhushree G set a new national record in women's pole vault by clearing 4.25 metres at the 65th National Senior Inter-State Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar on 25 June. She broke the previous record of 4.21m held by Rosy Meena Paulraj since October 2022.
Who qualified for the 2026 Asian Games at the Bhubaneswar athletics meet?
Multiple athletes qualified for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, including sprinters Animesh Kujur, Unnathi Bollanda, and Harita; pole vaulters Sindhushree G and Baranica Flangovan; hurdler Tejas Shirse; decathletes Thowfeeq N and Kushal Mohite; and shot putters Manpreet Kaur and Srishti Vig.
What were Animesh Kujur's timings at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships?
Animesh Kujur clocked 20.87 seconds in the Men's 200m semifinals to breach the Asian Games qualifying mark, then won the gold medal in the final with a time of 20.74 seconds.
When and where are the 2026 Asian Games being held?
The 2026 Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, starting on 19 September 2026.
How did the Men's Decathlon play out at the 65th Inter-State Athletics Championships?
Thowfeeq N of Kerala won the Men's Decathlon gold with 7,276 points, narrowly ahead of Kushal Mohite of Maharashtra who scored 7,251 points for silver. Both athletes cleared the Asian Games qualification standard of 7,250 points in what was described as a nail-biting finish.
