In a country where cricket enjoys unmatched attention and cricketers are often treated like celebrities, athletes from other sports continue to struggle for basic support and recognition.
The experience of Madhya Pradesh athletes Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar after they jointly set a new men’s national pole vault record of 5.45 metres at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi has once again highlighted that disparity.
Videos circulating on social media showed the two athletes travelling in a cramped e-rickshaw with their poles and equipment after leaving the Birsa Munda stadium.
The images sparked strong reactions online, with many users questioning the lack of support and basic facilities for the athletes.
Several users pointed out that pole vault equipment requires specialised handling and transport, yet the two athletes appeared to be arranging it on their own in an e-rickshaw.
The two athletes had also faced difficulties after participating in the All India Inter-University Championships, where they were allegedly asked to get off a train by the TTE while returning home from the tournament.
According to media reports, railway officials flagged their pole vault equipment and reportedly imposed a fine.
Their struggles away from the field stood in sharp contrast to their performances in Ranchi, where the men’s pole vault event emerged as one of the biggest highlights of the competition.
The previous Indian men’s pole vault record of 5.41 metres belonged to Kuldeep Kumar before the Ranchi meet. During the competition, Dev Meena first raised the mark to 5.42 metres before Kuldeep cleared 5.45 metres moments later to reclaim the national record.
Both athletes eventually cleared 5.45 metres, but Dev Meena secured the gold medal on countback, while Kuldeep Kumar settled for silver despite registering the same height.
The 5.45-metre effort also helped both athletes breach the qualification standard for the 2026 Asian Games and comfortably surpass the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark of 5.25 metres.
Earlier this month, on May 2, Kuldeep had set the national record of 5.41 metres at the 1st Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault competition in Bhubaneswar after going past Dev Meena’s previous mark of 5.40 metres.