NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh athletes Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar both cleared 5.45m to break the national pole vault record during the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi on Sunday, but Dev won the gold medal on countback after a close contest on the third and penultimate day of the event.Hours after becoming joint national record holders, both athletes were seen travelling in an e-rickshaw with their poles and equipment loaded alongside them after leaving Birsa Munda Stadium.The images drew strong reactions online, with many questioning the lack of support for athletes. Pole vault equipment is specialised, heavy and delicate, but the two athletes had to arrange transport for the equipment in an e rickshaw.Earlier this year, Dev and Kuldeep had also faced problems while travelling after the All India Inter-University Championships. Both were asked to get off a train at Panvel station by a TTE while returning from the event. Railway officials asked them to pay a penalty for carrying their pole vault equipment inside the coach, referring to the poles as “steel pipes”.Their struggles away from the field contrasted sharply with their performances in Ranchi, where the men’s pole vault final became one of the major highlights of the competition.Kuldeep had entered the event as the national record holder with a mark of 5.41m, but Dev was the first to go past it after clearing 5.42m during the competition.The lead changed within minutes as Kuldeep responded by clearing 5.45m. Dev then matched the same height, ensuring that both athletes finished the event as joint national record holders.Though both cleared 5.45m, Dev Kumar Meena claimed the gold medal on countback, while Kuldeep Kumar finished with silver.Countback is the tie-breaking method used in pole vault and high jump events when athletes clear the same height. The winner is decided based on who needed fewer attempts during the competition.Both athletes also crossed the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 5.25m set by the Athletics Federation of India.
