Overview
- The men’s pole vault final at the Federation Cup in Ranchi saw the national mark raised twice before both vaulters cleared 5.45m on Sunday, leaving them as joint Indian record holders.
- Dev Kumar Meena first cleared 5.42m to briefly take the record, Kuldeep Kumar responded with 5.45m, and Meena matched 5.45m minutes later with Meena awarded gold on countback for fewer failed attempts.
- Both athletes exceeded the Athletics Federation of India qualification standard and secured Commonwealth Games selection marks while also being reported to have met Asian Games qualifying heights.
- Hours after the competition a video showed Meena and Kuldeep tying their fibreglass poles to and travelling on an e‑rickshaw, reviving earlier incidents where airlines or railway staff refused to carry poles and prompting public criticism.
- The pair train together under coach Ghanshyam Yadav at the Madhya Pradesh Academy, and their performances underline rising domestic standards while raising questions about transport planning, athlete welfare, and possible federation responses.