New Delhi: Three years after shifting from sprinting to pole vaulting, Dev Kumar Meena set a new national record at the Uttarakhand National Games on Monday. The 19-year-old athlete from Madhya Pradesh successfully cleared a height of 5.32 meters, exceeding the former record of 5.31 meters established by S Siva in 2022.

Meena commenced his athletic journey as a sprinter in his hometown of Kheda, situated in the Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh. In 2021, he transitioned to pole vaulting, encouraged by his coach, Ghanshyam Yadav, a former pole vaulter who trains him at the Tatya Tope Academy in Bhopal, a state-operated sports institution.

The young athlete has shown significant advancement in his new sport. He earned a bronze medal at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships (U-20) in Dubai last year, clearing a height of 5.10 meters. Furthermore, he achieved a clearance of 5.20 meters at the Indian Open U-23 meet in Patna last year. He also secured gold at the Senior National Federation Cup and participated in the 2024 World U20 Championships held in Lima.

This event served as his title defence from the previous National Games in Goa.

"I had tried to break the national record at the India Open U23 Championships in Patna but was not successful. I am delighted to have accomplished it here," Meena stated.

Coach Ghanshyam has played a pivotal role in his career by encouraging Meena to adopt the discipline of pole vaulting. At the age of 28, Ghanshyam competed in the All India Inter University and Junior National events, although he was unable to pursue athletics further. Despite this setback, his commitment to the sport led him to complete an NIS coaching course and successfully pass the World Athletics level 1 course. He then sought to identify young talent for the Bhopal Academy and is currently engaged in studies related to biomechanics.

"For the past four years, I have been gaining expertise in pole vaulting. Many individuals are hesitant to attempt it due to the belief that it is difficult. Initially, Meena concentrated on sprinting. He has a tall, robust physique and a flexible build. It required significant effort to convince him and his family to shift to pole vaulting," Ghanshyam explains.

Meena committed a year to training with Ghanshyam outside the academy to prepare himself. "The initial stage was quite demanding. I had no prior experience in pole vaulting, so I needed to prove my abilities before being accepted into the academy. Since that time, the process has become considerably easier," Meena shares.

The state academy in Bhopal, where Ghanshyam coaches four pole vaulters, has offered considerable support. "They are achieving impressive results. Furthermore, the state government appointed a Cuban coach a few months ago," he notes.

Prior to their journey to Dehradun, Ghanshyam requested a letter from the officials of the state sports department to facilitate the transport of their poles on the train without restrictions. "We often face challenges on trains due to the length of our poles (5m). On a previous occasion, I endured significant verbal abuse from a ticket collector. However, this time, with the letter in hand, our travel from Bhopal to Delhi and then to Dehradun was much more pleasant."

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