No money for equipment, Sindhushree breaks the national record with a borrowed pole
National record holder G Sindhushree did not have the funds to buy proper equipment after her father’s death in 2022, forcing her to compete with shorter poles until she borrowed a longer one just two weeks before the National Interstate Championships here.
An unheralded Sindhushree from Karnataka set an unexpected national record with her friend’s gear, bagging a gold medal and also a ticket to the Asian Games. Hailing from a family of modest means in Bhadravati in Shimoga district, the 25-year-old cleared 4.25m, bettering Tamil Nadu athlete Baranic Elangovan’s one-month-old national record of 4.20m.
“My father passed away in 2022 due to a heart attack. What I have achieved today is all because of my father. He took me jogging every morning and wanted me to play for the country in international events. I am going to fulfill his dream of Asian Games (participation),” Sindhushree said with a photo of her father.
“I qualified for the World University Games, but my father was not there to watch me. I am the first one in my family to do sports, other members want to send a girl to sports. My father fought everyone, so I joined SAI hostel in Bengaluru in 2016. That’s when I started my sports journey.”
Her father, R Ganesh, was an electrician and her mother does tailoring.
“As my mother looks after my younger sister’s study hall, my grandfather supports me financially,” said an emotional Sindhushree, who dedicated her golden and much-awaited Asian Games ticket to her father.
“I have no sponsors, no job and it’s hard to manage. I was looking for a job but I couldn’t find one because my performance wasn’t coming. I hope to find a job after this performance. I need to help my family,” said the diminutive pole vaulter, who stands 159cm (5ft two and a half inches).
Sindhushree improved her personal best by 25cm. Her previous personal best was 4m during the India Athletics Series 6 in Chennai in May. She has won only one medal at a major domestic championship so far – silver at the national interstate championship in 2023 at the same venue here with a performance of 3.80m.
Financial struggles meant that she could not even buy a proper pole for the competition. She was using a shorter rod before she came here.
“I didn’t have a proper stick before. All the sticks were shorter and loosened up after the races. I was training and learning techniques with shorter sticks, so I didn’t do well in earlier competitions like the Federation Cup.”
“Luckily I came here with a longer pole that my friend actually brought. I got it a few days ago and I could do better here.”
Initially, Sindhushree was a 400m runner, but a local coach forced her to switch to the pole vault in 2017. My coach said I could do better in the pole vault.’
Asked about qualifying for the Asian Games, she said, “It seems like a dream. It all happened because of my father (above).”
Sindhushree’s coach Vijeesh MM said her most important quality is her patience.
“Patience is her strength, because she hasn’t been performing for many years, she hasn’t competed with proper poles and she’s in financial trouble.
“With the right clubs and the right nutritional support, she will do better at the Asian Games. She doesn’t have to focus on her technique. I hope she can clear 4.30m.”
The bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Games was 4.30m.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
27 Jun 2026 17:59 IST