How India treats its champions: Record holders have left the drawbars on e-rickshaws

The contrast couldn’t be more heartbreaking. On Sunday in Ranchi, Madhya Pradesh teammates Dev Kumar Meena and Kuldeep Kumar scripted Indian athletics history as they pushed each other to break a sensational joint national record of 5.45m at the 2026 Federation Cup.

Yet, hours after securing their place at the pinnacle of Indian sport and qualifying for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, a video surfaced on social media revealing a familiar, grim reality. The history makers were seen crammed into the back of a cramped e-rickshaw, pulling their five-metre long fiberglass poles through the streets by hand.

GLORY OF STREET HUSTLE

The sight of India’s absolute best pole vaulters having to pack up and travel in a tiny e-rickshaw sparked instant outrage online, with fans calling for a massive systemic failure in athlete welfare. Pole vaulting requires highly specialized, fragile and heavy equipment, yet the country’s newest record holders have been left entirely to themselves to transport the very tools that brought them fame.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Both Dev Meena and Kuldeep Kumar broke the national pole vault record at Nationals earlier.

And after making history, the champions had to carry their poles like this in a rickshaw

Our pole vaulters deserve much better facilities!
pic.twitter.com/LBGK41YE9N https://t.co/fdpBbgwWjk— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) May 25, 2026

Sadly, for Dev and Kuldeep, the logistics of their sport proved to be an ongoing nightmare. Earlier this year the two athletes were suddenly forced to debate the train at Panvel station Traveling Ticket Examiner (TTE) on return from All India Inter-University Championships.

Officials claimed they could not carry their poles on board, leaving the champions stranded on the station for nearly five hours. At the time, an emotional Dev Meena posted a video plea questioning the treatment, wondering how junior athletes survive if international level competitors are subjected to such blatant harassment.

HISTORIC BATTLE ON THE FIELD

The apathy off the field is in stark contrast to the sheer brilliance the duo displayed on the track in Ranchi. The men’s pole vault final was an absolute thriller, with the national record broken twice in a single evening.

Kuldeep entered the tournament as the sole record holder with a mark of 5.41m earlier this month in Bhubaneswar. However, Dev struck first and soared over 5.42m to temporarily claim the crown. Kuldeep responded like a true champion and raised the stakes by clearing 5.45m.

To make matters worse, Dev responded by clearing 5.45m as the crowd roared. Although Dev secured the gold medal on count-down (fewer failed attempts), the two athletes walked away as joint national record holders. They even attempted a jump of 5.50m, pushing the limits of Indian athletics.

While both athletes have comfortably cleared the Athletics Federation of India’s qualifying standard of 5.25m for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, the modern sporting world requires more than just grit. If India really wants its athletes to bridge the gap with Asian and world standards, it must start by treating its champions with basic dignity on the ground.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

25 May 2026 09:50 IST

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