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Kuldeep Kumar Soars to New National Record in Pole Vault Victory

Kuldeep Kumar set a new national record of 5.41m to win the men's pole vault at the Indian Indoor Open in Bhubaneswar. He surpassed the previous record of 5.40m held by Dev Meena. Reegan G secured second place with 5.25m, while Dev Meena finished third. The record awaits official ratification from the Athletics Federation of India.

Key Points: Kuldeep Kumar Sets National Record in Pole Vault

  • Kuldeep Kumar clears 5.41m to break national record
  • Previous record of 5.40m held by Dev Meena
  • Reegan G finishes second with 5.25m
  • Kumar attempts 5.46m but fails, Asian Games standard is 5.45m
2 min read

Kuldeep Kumar breaks national record to win pole vault event in Bhubaneswar

Indian athlete Kuldeep Kumar breaks national record with 5.41m jump, surpassing Dev Meena's mark at Indian Indoor Open in Bhubaneswar.

"Kuldeep Kumar set a new national record to win the men's pole vault event - Olympics.com"

Bhubaneswar, May 2

Indian athlete Kuldeep Kumar set a new national record to win the men's pole vault event at the Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault 2026 held at the Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

The 21-year-old cleared 5.41m, surpassing the previous national record of 5.40m, according to Olympics.com.

The earlier record had been set by Dev Meena at the World University Games 2025 in Germany, and he equalled that mark again at an athletics meet in Chinese Taipei earlier this year. Reegan G, who had established the previous indoor national record of 5.30m at the same venue in March, secured second place with a best effort of 5.25m, while Dev Meena finished third with 5.20m.

According to World Athletics, pole vault records do not differentiate between indoor and outdoor performances. However, Kuldeep Kumar's national record still awaits official ratification from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

This event also marked the third time this year that Kuldeep Kumar and the 20-year-old Dev Meena have faced each other.

Dev Meena had taken the first encounter earlier this year, winning the Indian Open Jumps Competition in Bengaluru in March with a 5.25m clearance. Kuldeep Kumar managed the same height--then his personal best--but lost on countback.

Kumar bounced back in their second meeting at the Indian Open Athletics Series in Jaipur last month, edging ahead on countback after both once again cleared 5.25m.

On Saturday, Kumar attempted 5.46m but was unsuccessful in all three tries. The qualifying standard set by India for the men's pole vault at the Asian Games 2026 stands at 5.45m. Earlier on Saturday, Kavinraja S claimed victory in the U20 men's pole vault with a jump of 4.90m, followed by R Vishal with 4.70m and Saurabh Yadav with 4.20m.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
So proud of these young athletes! The rivalry between Kuldeep and Dev Meena is really raising the bar. A 5.41m indoor record in Bhubaneswar shows our training infrastructure is improving too. I just hope we can get more international exposure for them before Asian Games 2026. 🤞
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Vikram M
Good competition, but honestly 5.41m still falls short of Asian and world standards. We need to aim much higher. The qualifying mark of 5.45m is too low if we want to win medals. Let's not celebrate mediocrity when there's a long way to go.
M
Michael C
Impressive progress from a 21-year-old! The back-and-forth between him and Dev Meena reminds me of a healthy rivalry. Hope Indian sports administrators provide proper coaching and facilities to sustain this momentum. Great effort, Kuldeep! 🙌
K
Kavya N
Sach mein proud feeling! 🏆 The way Kuldeep bounced back after losing to Dev Meena earlier shows real character. And those U20 boys—Kavinraja S with 4.90m—promising future. Bas thoda aur funding aur exposure mile toh hum bhi Olympics mein pole vault mein medal la sakte hain!
S
Sarah B
Nice to see Indian track and field getting attention. But I'm curious—why doesn't World Athletics differentiate between indoor and outdoor records? That's a bit confusing for fans. Also, hope AFI speeds up the ratification process so Kuldeep's achievement is official before the Asian Games deadline. 🏃‍♂️
R
Rohit P

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