India fails its athletes again: Pole vaulters carry gear on e-rickshaws minutes after breaking national record – Watch

NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh athletes Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar cleared 5.45m to break the national record in the pole vault during the National Senior Athletics Federation competition in Ranchi on Sunday, but Dev won the gold medal on countback after a close fight on the third and penultimate day of the event.Hours after becoming joint national record holders, the two athletes were seen traveling in an e-rickshaw with sticks and equipment stacked side by side after leaving the Birsa Munda Stadium.The images sparked strong reactions online, with many questioning the lack of support for the athletes. Pole vault equipment is specialized, heavy and delicate, but both athletes had to arrange for the equipment to be transported by rickshaw.Earlier this year, Dev and Kuldeep also faced problems while traveling for the All India Intercollegiate Championship. Both were asked to alight from the train at Panvel station while returning from the event. Railway officials asked them to pay a fine for carrying their pole vaulting equipment inside the car, referring to the poles as “steel pipes”.Their struggles off the field contrasted sharply with their performances in Ranchi, where the men’s pole vault final became one of the main highlights of the competition.Kuldeep entered the event as the national record holder with a mark of 5.41m but Dev was the first to break it after clearing 5.42m during the competition.The lead changed within minutes as Kuldeep responded by clearing 5.45m. Dev then cleared the same height, ensuring both athletes finished the event as joint national record holders.Although they both cleared 5.45m, Dev Kumar Meena won the gold medal in the countdown while Kuldeep Kumar finished with silver.Countback is a ranking method used in the pole vault and high jump when athletes clear the same height. The winner is decided based on who needed fewer attempts during the competition.Both athletes also cleared the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualification mark of 5.25m set by the Athletics Federation of India.