Bhubaneswar’s indoor stadium witnessed a historic moment as Madhya Pradesh’s Kuldeep Kumar, aged 21, claimed the men’s pole vault gold and a national record of 5.41 meters on the opening day of India’s first Indoor Open Combined Events. The leap in his debut attempt shattered Dev Kumar Meena’s 5.40m mark from last year and Regan G.’s 5.30m indoor best from March.
Kuldeep’s flawless technique and explosive power turned the event into a celebration of Indian vaulting potential. His failure to clear 5.46m didn’t dim the shine of his achievement, which positions him as a rising star ahead of key international qualifiers.
The battle for podium spots was fierce. Dev Kumar Meena, fresh off equaling his record in Taiwan this year, settled for bronze at 5.20m after tough attempts higher up. Regan G. took silver with 5.25m, unable to surpass 5.35m in three efforts. Kuldeep’s smooth 5.35m clearance in his second try underscored his dominance.
As the competition progressed, Kuldeep’s record-setting vault injected optimism into the camp, especially with Ranchi’s outdoor nationals approaching. The top three vaulters here are now prime candidates for the national squad targeting Commonwealth Games glory in Glasgow and Asian Games success in Japan.
Heptathlon action added to the excitement, with Thaufeeq N. topping the charts at 2943 points post the initial four events: 60m sprint, long jump, shot put, and high jump. Jasbir Nayak of Odisha is hot on his heels with 2927. Anticipation builds for day two’s hurdles, vault, and 1000m dashes.
