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Current Affairs

Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar Set New Indian Men’s Pole Vault National Record at 2026 Federation Cup

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On 24 May 2026, at the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition held in Ranchi, Madhya Pradesh athletes Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar jointly set a new Indian men’s pole vault national record by clearing 5.45 metres. Dev Meena won the gold medal on a countback basis, while Kuldeep Kumar secured silver. Both athletes surpassed the previous national record of 5.41 metres, which Kuldeep Kumar had set earlier that year in Bhubaneswar. Their performances also qualified them for the 2026 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, with the Commonwealth qualification mark being 5.25 metres.

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Key Facts

  • Event: 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition (Federation Cup)
  • Date and Venue: 24 May 2026, Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi
  • Record Set: 5.45 metres - new national men’s pole vault record
  • Athletes: Dev Kumar Meena (gold), Kuldeep Kumar (silver)
  • Previous Record: 5.41 metres by Kuldeep Kumar set on 2 May 2026 in Bhubaneswar
  • Coach: Ghanshyam Yadav (both athletes from Madhya Pradesh)
  • Qualification Achieved: Both qualified for 2026 Asian Games and 2026 Commonwealth Games (with qualification standard 5.25m)
  • Winning Criterion: Dev Meena won on countback (fewest failed attempts at cleared height)

Background & Context

The pole vault is a track and field event where an athlete uses a flexible pole to leap over a horizontal bar. The Indian men’s pole vault national record had been incrementally improved in early 2026, with Dev Kumar Meena holding a 5.40m mark before Kuldeep Kumar set a new record of 5.41m in May at the Indian Indoor Open competition in Bhubaneswar. Subsequently, at the Federation Cup in Ranchi, both athletes raised the record to 5.45m. Both Meena and Kumar are training partners based in Madhya Pradesh, coached by Ghanshyam Yadav.

Why This Matters for Exams / Exam Relevance

This achievement is significant for national and state-level competitive examinations where recent sports records, athletes’ names, event details, and qualification standards for major international competitions such as the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are common general awareness topics. Understanding the concept of countback used in athletics as a tie-breaker is also relevant for detailed sports knowledge in exams.

Points to Remember

  • On 24 May 2026, both Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar cleared 5.45 metres, setting a new Indian men’s pole vault record.
  • Dev Kumar Meena won the gold medal via countback, which considers the fewest failed attempts at the highest height cleared.
  • Kuldeep Kumar had previously set the national record at 5.41 metres on 2 May 2026 at the Indian Indoor Open in Bhubaneswar.
  • Both athletes qualified for the 2026 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games by exceeding the Commonwealth qualification mark of 5.25 metres.
  • Both athletes train under coach Ghanshyam Yadav in Madhya Pradesh.
  • The Federation Cup 2026 was held at Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi, Jharkhand.
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